Elemental Furies 20
by ChizuruFTW
Summary: a remake of my original Elemental Furies story.
1. Mysterious Murders

Elemental Furies 2.0 Chapter 1

It was the middle of summer but the way the weather had been lately one would think otherwise. It had been a particularly wet, cool, and mild summer with only a few warm days and today was no different.

Pyra sighed as she listened to the rain pour down on the rooftop of her small home and flipped through the channels of her TV. She had begun to grow tired of these dreary days and wanted to see more warm days so that she could enjoy days finding things to do in stopped on the news channel when she noticed an interesting article being covered but quickly sighed again when she realized what it was about.

The anchorman spoke matter-of-factly as he reported the current events "…Our top story today brings us an update on a string of mysterious murders that have been happening over the past few weeks. Police reports put the death toll as high as ten people already." Pyra shook her head in disgust "Again? How can people be so cruel? What have they ever done to deserve that?" the news story continued "… Police say that some of the victims were so violently slain that they were completely unrecognizable and that even some of the most experienced officers had to leave the scene due to not being able to handle the brutality of the attacks…."

Pyra once again shook her head but this time in anger "I hope they catch the SOB that did this and lock his ass up for good. Better yet, I hope he gets the death penalty and suffers the same way he made his poor victims suffer."

She continued to listen intently as the news report continued "…Despite the viciousness of the attacks no murder weapon or finger prints could be found at the crime scene. Police say that some of the victims didn't even appear to have put up a struggle and thus making this case incredibly difficult for them." The news report on the murder then ended and changed to another topic of importance "…in other news, tensions between Brazil and Russia, as well as America and Japan are beginning to see a dangerous rise in animosity towards each other due to a rise in power in each other's military strengths, Russia and Brazil due to brazil trying to harness the power of wind and electricity as a weapon, and Japan and America due to Japans usage of new mechanized warfare…"

This report quickly got Pyra's attention. She knew that tensions had been high recently due to political reasons but she didn't know they were becoming so serious "…Russia has warned Brazil that if they don't stop with their experimental testing involving harnessing electricity and even the air as a weapon, they will force them to stop for the safety of not only themselves but for all of Europe, which at the moment, is facing a mass bankruptcy crisis due to a sudden mass recession to hit all of Europe. Brazil apparently replied 'Attack if you like, but know that it will be the last war you'll ever fight'. Many people fear if tensions keep rising, it'll lead to the next world war." This again made Pyra shake her head in frustration "Why can't everyone just get along? This is exactly why the worlds going to hell! People killing each other over nothing!"

She turned the TV off, having heard enough depressing news for one day, and decided find something more cheerful to do. She had inherited her grandparents' house after they had passed away since they had looked after her in her parents stead after their unfortunate deaths in a forest fire. Still, as she paced around her home looking for something to occupy her time in a more pleasant fashion, she still couldn't get her mind off of the subject of the murders that had been occurring. She had heard about them on the news a few weeks ago when they first started and it sickened her. She had always hated crime and the suffering of others and had always wished she could do something about it. The thing was she knew she didn't have the requirements to be a cop so there was little she could do about it.

As the thoughts of the crime and criminal being on the loose stuck in her head for a while she clenched her fist "Screw it! I can at least gather info that I can take to the police to help them catch this bastard!" she knew that doing this would be dangerous and would be better off left to professionals, especially with how the reports had portrayed the state of the victims. But she resolved herself to not wait for another helpless victim to be killed. She knew she at least had to try.

Grabbing her coat, her favorite pair of blue sparring gloves, and a small pocket knife in case she ran into trouble she made her way out into the rain. It wasn't long before she was soaking wet, something she wasn't enjoying in the least. Her long, elegantly braided, snow white hair, something she had always been admired for, and yellow "wife beater" shirt were already soaked and she was beginning to shiver from the cold.

She quickly made her way to a small bar that she often had acquaintances at and entered. She knew that some of the regulars had good ears and often had interesting things to say. She quickly spotted someone she knew sitting at the bartender's counter sipping on a White Russian.

Casually walked over to her "Hey Sara! How are you doing? You hear the news report?" Sara had long smooth wine red hair, bright blue eyes, a pair of cut-off jeans, a small self-made pendent, ,and black tank-top. Sara nodded her head in response to Pyras question "Yeah. This is starting to get out of hand. Ten murders in less than a month. People are starting to panic." Pyras interest was already piqued "Oh? Are they saying anything about it?" Sara nodded again "Yeah. Apparently the victims, at least some anyway, are all former employees of that closed down Asylum that had the riot of patients a few years back. You know, the one where over half the patients were killed because they were attacking everyone and the SWAT team had to be called in because they couldn't stop them all?"

Pyra looked away as she thought about the incident and remembered the story of the massacre of the High Field Asylum. It was covered on every news station for days and the pictures that were leaked of the tragedy were graphic and horrific. To this day no one knew what had caused the uprising.

Pyra looked back at Sara "Ya I remember it, why would they be targeting them?" Sara shrugged her shoulders "My guess is that they were a survivor of the massacre who escaped and now they're just doing what any typical psycho does. They're probably just angry at the doctors for keeping them locked up so they're taking it out on them."

Pyra nodded with a shrug of her shoulders "That does make a bit of sense. I suppose if I was locked up for years and then I was shot at I'd be a little pissed off too." Pyra's brow then furrowed in a mixture of confusion and deep thought "But still, that was years ago. I would think that they would just enjoy their freedom now." Sara shook her head in disagreement "I wouldn't be so sure about that. If you were locked up for so many years you might have some grudges against the people who put you there in the first place. Maybe that's what this psycho is doing; they're getting even for their imprisonment."

After a while the Bartender noticed Pyras presence and walked over with a smile "Want your usual?" Pyra smiled politely and responded "No, that's alright. I have to head out soon." The Bartender nodded with a smile then went back to his duties of helping the other customers. Pyra then turned back to Sara "I wanted to ask you too, you still planning on going to Brazil? Things are getting pretty tense between Europe and them, particularly with Russia."

Sara nodded excitedly in response to Pyras question "Of course. I've been talking to this guy, Raphael, for a while now and he and I are going to meet. Apparently he's a soldier who works in the Special Op's division! That's so hot!" Sara squealed in excitement like some teenage school girl trying to get the attention of the star of the football team. Pyra merely sighed in defeat at her enthusiasm. Pyra got up and began to head out "Well, thanks for the info Sara, it's not much but it's a start." Sara nodded "No problem, one question though…" Pyra looked at her with confusion "What's up?" Sara continued "…Why are you so interested about figuring out who's doing this? Not only are you not a detective or a cop, it's also very dangerous." Pyra shrugged at her "I want to help. If I get a bunch of information I can take it to them and it might help lead them to the criminal."

Sara took a small sip of her drink before responding to Pyras reason for doing this "You do realise that whatever we know they probably already know to right?" Pyra nodded "You're probably right, but still, the more I know the better. There's still a small chance that they may not know. The news reports did say some of the victims were unrecognizable after all." Sara nodded in agreement "That's true. Well, I wish you luck Pyra, don't get yourself in any trouble alright?" Pyra smiled in response reassuringly as she turned to leave "I will. Thanks for the help Sara. Have a safe and fun time in Brazil." She then made her way back into the rainy streets.

Pyra noticed that the sky was beginning to darken and decided to make her way for home. She had gotten a good amount of information, even if possibly irrelevant, from Sara and she wanted to make sure she wrote it down so she didn't forget it. As she was making her way home she stopped dead in her tracks as she suddenly began hearing cries for help. Immediately she made her way to the source of the cries and found a woman on the ground with a look of terror in her eyes. The woman quickly noticed Pyra and with pleading eyes begged for her help "Please help! They're a monster! They're going to kill me! She's-"before the woman could finish she was suddenly torn in half by some unseen force right in front of Pyras eyes splattering her face with blood.

Pyra let out a scream of horror as she saw the terrified, but lifeless eyes of the woman's upper torso staring up at her. Her screams were interrupted however, by a strange voice. It only spoke a few words to her, and Pyra couldn't make out where the voice was coming from, but she knew that whatever, or whoever, it was, it wasn't friendly. It spoke in a very blunt and direct manner "Forget what you saw here and stay out of my way if you value your life." After that there was nothing but complete silence.

Pyra quickly ran away from the crime scene and looked for someone she could go to for help. She knew there was no point in trying to get help for the woman who had fallen victim to who, or what, had attacked her, but she knew if she could find someone she could call the police and lead them to where the attack had occurred.

After a few minutes of running she found a couple walking in her direction and quickly flagged them down, panting from running the entire way. After getting a look at her blood stained face the couple quickly became concerned "What happened?! Are you alright?!" Pyra shook her head "No! Please Help! There's been another murder!" the couple looked at each other quickly then back to Pyra "Are you serious?! Where?!" Pyra pointed behind her "About four blocks back! I don't know how it happened…it defies all laws of reality, but the woman…she was torn in half! She was literally torn in half by nothing!"

The couple looked at each other in pure shock and horror before replying "But that's impossible! There's no way something like that can happen! That's just not possible!" Pyra nodded in agreement "I would normally say the same! But I was there! It happened right in front of me! I'll even show you!" Once again the couple looked at each with skepticism in their eyes but again nodded "Fine, we need to report this anyway."

Pyra quickly led the couple to the site at which the crime and sure enough the woman's torn body still lay in the alleyway in which the attack at occurred. Upon seeing the brutal scene the woman of the couple instantly collapsed to her knees and turned away not being able to take the brutality of the scene. Even the man was stunned for several moments his hand covering his mouth in shock. Pyra looked at them in desperation "See?! This is why there's never been any murder weapon, no finger prints, and no suspects! The impossible somehow just became possible right in front of me!" The couple then eyed Pyra suspiciously "There's you." Pyra replied with exasperation in her voice "Are you serious?! Right, I'm just going to murder someone, get their blood all over me, walk over to the first set of people I see, then lead them to the place I did it and ask them to call the cops on me. Right, that sounds like a great way to get away with a crime!"

The couple were silent for a moment then nodded "Well, when you put it that way, you do make a solid point." Pyra shook her head in dumfounded amazement at the ridiculous accusation they made about her but didn't say anything. Instead she put her attention to the situation at hand "We need to call the authorities." The man of the couple nodded "On it."

In a few minutes the police, ambulance, and fire department, as per the protocol, were on the scene. Again, even a few authorities had to turn away from the crime scene due to its brutality. After a surveying the scene for a short while the detective in charge turned to Pyra "So tell me, what happened here exactly? What was it that you saw?" Pyra gathered her composure and tried to explain what happened "I know what I'm about to tell you is going to sound impossible but I swear it's true." The detective nodded with a serious look as he took out his note pad "Go ahead." Pyra took a deep breath to gather her thoughts "Well, as you know, there have been a lot of murders recently..." the detective nodded in agreement "Unfortunately that's true." Pyra continued "…But what I just saw defied all laws of reality. I heard the woman's cries for help, so I ran as fast as I could to get to her in time to help but…when I got there she barely managed to speak to me before…something, tore her in half. She literally just split apart for no reason. There was nothing there to do it, but it still happened."

The detective looked her with skepticism. He closed his note book and looked at her sternly "You do realize that we have to take this case seriously. There's no way I can believe that some ghost or something killed this woman." Pyra sighed "Look, I know it sounds crazy. I completely understand where you're coming from and if I was in your position I'd be just as skeptical as you. But I swear on my parents and grandparents honor that it's true. I'll even take a lie detector test if you don't believe me."

As Pyra and the detective were speaking one of the other officers were came up to them "Pardon me detective, but just like all the other crime scenes, we can't find any forms of evidence at all to give us any idea how this happened or why the culprit would do this." Pyra put her arms up in a 'I told you so' fashion and looked at the officer "That's because the murder weapon isn't something you can just buy in a store, or even something you can make yourself." The officer look at Pyra in confusion "What do you mean?" she shook her head in defeat "I wish I knew. But whatever killed her isn't natural…and neither is the killer"

Eventually the Detective put his notepad away "I'm sorry but I just can't believe that someone was killed by Casper the friendly ghost. If you've got nothing that can help the investigation then I suggest you hurry home and clean yourself up before the murderer comes back. They may want to get rid of the witness."

Pyras shoulders sunk in defeat. She knew now that it was no use in trying to get the police to listen to her story. She did however remember one small detail as she was about to heed the detectives advice "Hold on…before I forget, there was one thing I forgot to mention." The detective turned back to her "What is it?" Pyra continued "Before she died, she said that whoever, or whatever, it was that was going to kill her was a "she" right before she was killed." The Detective took out his notepad and wrote what Pyra had said down "Are you sure?" Pyra nodded "As positive as I am that I saw 'Casper' kill her". The detective chuckled slightly "No need for sarcasm." Pyra just shrugged her shoulders "Whatever. I think I'll take your advice and get out of here before 'Casper' decides he wants to visit me. I don't want to end up like her."

Pyra glanced over to corpse of the women lying in the alleyway that the paramedics, who had just arrived, covered up. She quickly turned away again and back to the detective, as the scene was still much too gruesome for her to handle and even a quick glance made her nauseous. She smiled politely as she turned to leave "I'll try to keep tabs on things and inform you of anything else I find out alright?" the detective nodded "That would be appreciated. Stay safe on your way home." Pyra nodded back "I will!" she then quickly took her leave of the scene, letting the authorities do their work.

As Pyra made her way home the rain began to pour ever harder and her coat had become completely soaked through. She was beginning to feel a chill, something which any person would know was a bad sign, and began quickening her pace for her home. However, as she neared home she couldn't help but get the feeling that she was being watched. She couldn't see or hear anyone, but something just told her she wasn't alone.

By the time Pyra reached home everything about her was drenched. Her coat, shirt, pants, everything. She was also incredibly cold despite it being summer. Although the days had been rather dreary, they had always still been on the warmer side. But today, today felt especially cold. Almost unnaturally cold. She shrugged it off however as being an oddity as she knew that not every day would be exactly the same.

After drying off Pyra decided she would take shower to not only warm herself up, but also to get rid of the small amount of blood that the rain failed to wash off of her, something she was careful to keep hidden from other people she crossed paths with as to avoid any form of misplaced suspicion from them.

However, as she was about to enter the shower the lights suddenly died and failed to turn back on. At first Pyra thought it was a simple power outage due to the heavy deluge of rain pouring down outside, but her simple dismissal of it quickly became one of anxiety and nervousness when the bathing room suddenly became especially cold almost instantly.

As the temperature continued to drop Pyras anxiety only grew. She knew that even if the power had gone out, the heat of the house wouldn't have such a drastic drop in temperature so quickly. It would take days to reach the level it had suddenly become. It had become so low that she could visibly see her breath, and could be compared to that of being the same temperatures reached in winter.

As Pyras stress piqued, it was taken to new heights when a shadowy figure suddenly took shape in front of her. Its form was distinctly human in appearance but its features were completely hidden by darkness, almost as though it were a living shadow. After a few moments of tense silence Pyra managed to speak "W-who are you? What are you?" The next sound to pierce the silence however was Pyras screams as the shadows suddenly wrapped themselves around her and restrained her movements completely.

The shadowy figure then spoke, and Pyra instantly recognized it as the one from the alley of the murder "Who or what I am is none of your concern. I told you to stay out of my way. I told you to forget what you saw. Instead you told what you saw to the cops, and now they'll be one step closer to finding me." The shadowy restraints around Pyra tightened around her and began to restrict her breathing "Although it will only be a small step, a small step is all that's needed to break into a sprint." Pyra could barely breathe at this point as the shadows began to tighten even more around her. Despite this she managed to rasp out a response "I can't…just let you…get away with this!" The figure was silent for a moment before effortlessly lifting Pyra off the ground and pushing hard against the wall making Pyra lose what little breath she had. It then spoke in a low and threatening tone "I could kill you right here and no one would know what happened to you. I could easily make it look like you simply slipped and broke your neck. Nobody would question it. Do NOT tempt me." Pyra struggled to reply "Then…why…don't you…do it?" Again the figure was silent for a moment before replying to Pyra. It was almost as though it was unsure itself. Eventually however the figure responded "I suppose you could say I'm interested in you. You're the first one to witness what I've done and ignore my warning to you. It takes guts to do that. You can be sure I'll have my eyes on you from now on. "Pyra smirked defiantly "Great…my first stalker…is 'Caspar the not-so-friendly ghost'. Aren't I just…the lucky one?" much to Pyras surprise the figure let out a small chuckle "You're a cute one. Even when being threatened with death you still show no fear. I must say, I've taken a bit of a liking to you. Fine, I'll let you go…for now. But I will be keeping my eyes on you from now on." With those final ominous words Pyra was released from the shadows' grip and the lights of the bathing room turned back on. As the lights illuminated the room the figure vanished as quickly as the light appeared. The heat also started to come back on and began warming the room again much to Pyras relief as she was now colder than ever due to what the shadow figure had done to the temperature of the room.

After a minute or two of composing herself over what had just happened she stood up and undressed herself. Despite being incredibly shaken from what she had just experienced, she knew that she still had blood on her in several places that the rain had failed to wash off. As the warm water poured over her skin an instant flood of relief washed over her and she immediately felt herself relax. She often enjoyed her shower time because it just let her forget all the troubles of the day. Everything that seemed to have went wrong with the day got washed away with all the dirt and grime, or in this case blood, of the day and she could just go off into her own thoughts. Today however was different. The disturbing events that had transpired and the crimson taint that was staining the water as it drained from the shower stall made it impossible to lose herself. Every time she tried concentrate the gruesome image of the murder or the terrifying ordeal with the shadowy figure appeared in her mind.

Pyra eventually sighed as she gave up trying to enjoy even a simple enjoyable thoughtful escape and released the braid from her hair to get the remaining blood out of it. Upon releasing the braid her hair was free to fall down and was revealed to actually be very long; easily reaching past her waist. She had not only always been admired for the rare snow white color of her hair, but also for the length and silkiness. It was one of the defining features that had gotten her asked her out many times, all of which she had declined.

After a few minutes of washing she managed to get the blood stains out of her prized white hair and turned off the water. She wrapped a nearby towel around herself and tied her hair back up and made her way back out of the bathing room, tossing her soaked clothes into the laundry basket on her way out. After all that had happened today, she was to uncaring to even get dressed. She just wanted to relax. It's not like anyone would see her anyway.

Pyra sat herself on the couch and turned the TV but a groan immediately escaped her lips as the nightly news story came on and she knew exactly what it was covering. The anchorman spoke with a matter of fact voice "Tonight we bring you an update in the case covering the string of recent murders happening all around town during the past month." Pyra's shoulders slumped in irritation "I'm not going to be able to forget this am I?" despite her protests the anchorman continued "Early this evening another murder occurred putting the total to 11 in the span of a month…" Pyra responded sarcastically "Heh ya, no shit Sherlock. you figure that out yourself?" the anchorman continued "…Police are still baffled by who is behind the murders but apparently an unnamed witness who apparently witnessed the murder and escaped came forward and confirmed that the assailant was female but wasn't able to get any more details than that."

Pyra had had enough and turned the TV off. For weeks the news had been covering almost nothing but the murder cases, and anything that had was just as depressing. At first, she found the stories interesting but after a week or two she began to find it depressing when it was all that was ever on. She now wished to see something that was actually positive for once rather than somber and depressing, but she knew that as long as these murders were going on it was unlikely she would see any change in the stories that were covered.

With a small sigh she laid down on the couch and ran her hand over the oddly shaped scar on her chest. It was the one she got when she too was caught it the same fire that her parents had been killed in during a camping trip. During a heavy storm lighting had struck one of the trees and caught it on fire, and due to the extremely dry summer of that year it wasn't long before the rest of the area had ignited as well trapping herself and her parents in the area.

A small amount of sadness began to well up in Pyra as she recalled the painful memories of what had happened. She recalled how her parents had pushed her out of the way of a burning tree as it fell, instantly trapping them under it. She still remembered their weak voices reassuring her that they would be right behind her in a moment once they freed themselves but also telling her to run away to safety for the time being. Being a child at the time, she believed her parents, thinking nothing could beat them, and she ran; never knowing she'd never see them again.

As the vivid memory continued tears began to fall from Pyras face. She often got memories like this after watching or listening to something to depressing. Although normally locked tightly in the back of her mind, there were certain things that could always bring them out. The next thing she remembered was running as hard as her small legs back then could carry her until she got her foot caught on a root slightly sticking up from the ground and badly spraining her ankle, making it impossible to stand. Due to the heat of the fire and density of the smoke she began to fall from consciousness until everything went black. The next thing she knew is waking up and her surroundings devoid of flames and she had the odd burn like scar on her chest and not knowing where she was. After she was eventually found wondering the side of the road and picked up by a passing police car, she was taken to the station where her grandparents were contacted and took her to her new home. It was a few days later that the bodies of her parents were found and identified, forever changing her life.

Eventually the painful memories ceased much to her relief and she decided that she had had enough of this miserable day. She just wanted it to end. After witnessing a murder, being assaulted and threatened by 'Caspar', having to deal with more depressing news stories, and remembering the painful memories of her past once again, she had just given up. She'd had enough. In her mind, tomorrow couldn't come fast wiped the tears from her eyes and got up from the couch and made her way to her room hoping that, due to the stressful events of the day, she would fall into sleep at a quick pace. Even better, she hoped she slept soundly with little to no interruption. But she would only once she tried.

Before settling herself comfortably into bed Pyra said a small prayer for both her beloved parent as well as her grandparent like she did every night. It was her only way to have at least some form of relationship with them, even if it was just a spiritual one. To her, it was at least a small amount of comfort when she was feeling upset and alone. With one last tired sigh Pyra turned out the lights and crawled into her bed, nestling comfortably into the warm sheets. It wasn't long before sleep began to take its hold on her as she closed her eyes and cleared her mind of everything that had happened during the day. As long as she didn't dwell on anything, she generally could put things out of her mind. With one last silent prayer to her parents and grandparents she resigned herself to exhaustion and fell into sleeps embrace.


	2. A Girl Named Mercy

Elemental Furies 2.0 Chapter 2

As morning came, Pyra was greeted with the spirit lifting rays of the sun shining brightly in her room. After a long stretch, a smile came to her face "Finally, a nice day! It makes me actually want to go out and do something!" Pyra took a few minutes to enjoy the warm rays of the sun before she decided to get up and get dressed. She knew that, with the rather dismal summer, she may not get another chance to enjoy this kind of weather for a while.

After a few minutes of getting dressed she made her way to the bathroom to freshen up and get the typical, so-called, "bed head" straightened out. However as she entered the bathroom she stopped as she noticed several hairs on the floor. While something like this normally wouldn't be much of an issue, as it was typical to have a few hairs fall out while combing, drying, or washing it, the issue was that these strands were a deep purple in color and not snow white like hers were.

After a few moments of pondering over of where they could have come from, she remembered the attack on her person from yesterday. She reasoned that they could only have come from the assailant. Though how they actually got there she couldn't figure out as her attacker didn't even seem to have a physical form. Despite this, she decided to gather them up and bring this first piece of evidence to the police. She knew this was a risky move due to the cryptic warnings that the shadowy figure had given her, but she also knew that she couldn't allow such a dangerous individual to stalk the streets any longer. She quickly found a small zip-lock bag and carefully placed the hairs inside then proceeded to clean herself up for the day's activities.

After freshening up, she made hers way downstairs and turned on the news. After yesterday, she was actually eager to hear what might have possibly happened over the course of the night. However, she still sighed when she heard the anchorman read the report "Police have now released a name for the victim following their tragic death yesterday. We now know them as Emily Ericson…." Pyra whispered as to herself "So that's who they were…" The anchorman continued "…since the death of Miss Ericson, three more murders have taken place; making the total now fourteen. Police are now placing a curfew on everyone in the city in order to keep the population safe. Evidence is still minimal, aside from the new information of the suspect now being known to be female…"

Pyra turned the TV off and shook her head "Jesus Christ…three more murders in a single night, on top of the one I witnessed. This person…or a monster is probably a better description, is an absolute psycho. What the hell pissed them off so bad?" she then threw the remote down on the couch "Oh well, I'm not going to let it get to me. I'm going to enjoy the day, give this little hair sample to the police and hopefully they can catch this creep soon." She then made her way outside.

A content smile took to Pyras face as the warm sun beamed down her. She hoped that these kinds of days would become more plentiful as the summer went on and the cool rainy days would go away. Though she didn't mind the odd rainy day, in fact she enjoyed them, they depressed her after a while. It was because of this that she decided that she might head off to the small bridge at a nearby park that held a close sentimental feeling to her after her stop at the police station. Her family would often visit this bridge and have fun family gatherings accompanied by music, joking, and storytelling before the tragedy of the fire cruelly changed that all.

As she neared the police station she rounded the corner and failed to notice a girl rounding the same corner and promptly ran into her knocking them both to the ground. The girl looked at her with slightly confused and stunned eyes and spoke apologetically in a shy, soft voice "I'm sorry….are you alright? I should have…looked where I was…going." Pyra shook off the girls the girls odd manner of speaking and returned her apology with a smile "Don't worry about it, I wasn't paying attention either. I should have been more aware of my surroundings. I was in a bit of a rush."

It was after Pyras own apology that she noticed her appearance. Like the hairs that she had found and gathered from the bathroom from her home, the girls hair was long and a dark purple that was tied with a band at the end. Her eyes were red in color, something that she had never seen due to how incredibly rare they were in people. But the most striking feature that caught her attention were several scars the girl had on her body as well as a strikingly realistic black dragon tattoo wrapped around the entire length of her left arm.

After a few seconds of awkward silence due to Pyras captivation of the girl's appearance, the girl spoke up "Is there…a problem?" At the sound of her voice Pyra was brought back to her senses and answered quickly "No, there's nothing wrong. You just remind of someone but I just can't place who for some reason."

Pyra knew this was a lie of course. This girl reminded her very closely of the shadowy figure from yesterday. Though she couldn't see any features aside from the eyes, she did match the same color of hair that Pyra had found on the bathroom floor. Pyra reasoned that these could only have come from the figure themselves as the hairs colour didn't match her own. However, it was the eyes of the figure that was the very problem. The figure had heterochromia, while this girl had definitively red eyes. Another difference was that the shadow figure had an intimidating and commanding voice while this girl spoke very softly, and could barely string a sentence together. Due to these issues, Pyra knew it couldn't be her that was the killer; despite the one striking similarity.

The girl smiled "It's…alright. I tend to stand out…in a crowd. By the way, my name…is Mercy. It's nice…to meet you" Pyra returned the smile and introduced herself in turn "Nice to meet you too. I'm Pyra. I was just on my way to the police station to drop off some evidence I found that I believe belonged to the killer. I was confronted by them yesterday. Somehow they found their way to my home and attacked me." The girl, now known as Mercy, looked at Pyra with an intrigued face "That…must have been…scary. How did you…manage to escape?"

Pyra thought for a few moments to try and explain the odd event that couldn't be described as anything less than unbelievable. Eventually she answered Mercy's question to the best of her ability "Well, this'll sound strange but, I didn't actually see them. The lights went out, then I found myself pinned to the wall by them. I still don't know how they got in. One second they weren't there, then the lights went out, and the next second I was pressed against the wall with their hands around my throat, it was like the darkness itself attacked me." Mercy tilted her head in interest "I wonder how…they accomplished that. That should be…impossible." Pyra nodded "Normally I would say the same. But after what I witnessed yesterday I'm not so sure anymore. I'm willing to believe anything now."

Pyra shook her head to clear her thoughts "Sorry, but I've got to get going. I have get to the police station so they can catch the bastard who's doing this!" Mercy smiled "I could possibly…help you with that. Two eyes…are better than one…after all." Pyra looked back at Mercy with surprise "Really? You'd do that? Don't you think that's possibly dangerous for you? I'm already taking a risk doing this myself." Mercy shook her head slightly, her soft smile never leaving her face "Don't worry I'll…be ok."

Pyra had to respect the confidence of this girl. Despite knowing the possible consequences she was still offering her help to her. After considering the pros and cons of the proposed partnership, Pyra smiled in agreement "Alright Mercy, I'll take you up on your offer. Just make sure you keep one eye over your shoulder. Just in case." Mercy returned the nod "I will. But I don't think…I'll have to worry…too much about it. But…you can never…be too careful…I guess."

As Pyra began to leave she signaled Mercy to follow her "Well, if we're going to be in this together you might as well come with me. You might be able to tell them something I can't" Mercy followed Pyras signal and ran to catch up to her "It's…possible. I don't know…how much help…I'll be though." As Mercy caught up to her, Pyra playfully punched her lightly on the arm with a smile "Don't worry about it, anything'll be helpful at this point." Mercy shyly returned the smile and nodded "Alright."

After a few more minutes of walking they finally reached the police station. Pyra walked up to the desk where the receptionist was seated. As the receptionist looked up to greet them, Pyra placed the small bag with the small amount of hair she had found inside the bathroom on the desk. She asked the receptionist in a serious tone "Is there someone I can talk to? I think I may have found something that can help in the case regarding the string of murders that have been happening recently this past month." The receptionist leaned forward to get a better look at the contents of the bag that Pyra had placed on the desk "Can I get your names?" Pyra quickly replied "Pyra and Mercy" the receptionist wrote down their names then got up "Please wait here. I'll have someone see you in a moment." Pyra nodded in appreciation "Thanks. We'll be waiting." The receptionist then left the room leaving both Pyra and Mercy alone.

As Pyra took a seat she quickly noticed an uncomfortable look on Mercy's face as well as a constant pacing back and forth. She could also hear her whispering things such as "I shouldn't have come here…" and "this wasn't such a good idea…". Curious, Pyra confronted her on it "What's the deal Mercy? You seem to be upset or afraid of something. Are you alright?" Mercy replied as she heard Pyras voice but her consistent, almost hypnotic, pacing continued "I'm fine. It's just…I don't like to have anything to do…with law enforcement…doctors or government. I find them…untrustworthy." This odd statement tugged at Pyras curiosity even further. She wanted to find out what it was that would have caused her to have such views of so she inquired further "What's so bad about them? Well, besides the government." Mercy quickly responded to her question, her pacing never stopping and the agitated and uncomfortable expression never leaving her face "I've just…had bad experiences with them. Most people…are fine…with them. But I've…had nothing…but trouble with them."

Pyras curiosity was now piqued. Despite only knowing Mercy for only a very short period of time, less than an hour even, she had already gotten her extremely interested in getting to know her. It was because of her piqued curiosity that she pressed Mercy even further "You had trouble with them? What kind of trouble?" it was at this question that Mercy's hypnotic like pacing stopped and her fists clenched tightly as she turned to Pyra with an irritated expression and replied in an almost threatening tone "You sure like…to ask questions…don't you? Too many…in fact. Asking too many questions…can be hazardous for you…trust me. I've simply…had enough problems with them…to not trust them."

Pyras eyes widened in surprise in the sudden change of attitude in Mercy. She almost felt frightened as Mercy walked up to her, the angered expression and tone never leaving her face or voice, and leaned in close to her " Now that I've answered…your questions, here's…a question for you: How about you mind…your own damn business?" Pyra was at a loss for words. This was such a drastic change in attitude over such simple innocent questions. It was without a doubt that something truly terrible must have happened for her to react like that.

Before she could think of what to say to Mercy, the receptionist returned with one of the police officers. The officer approached the two girls and held out his hand with a smile "It's good to meet you. I'm Detective Hal, the leader in this case, but please, just call me Hal; it's much less formal. I like to be on a casual level with my witnesses; they're easier to talk to that way. I hear you may have found something to help us in our investigation." Pyra shook the Detectives hand and returned the smile "I'm Pyra." She then pointed to Mercy "This is my friend Mercy" Hal extended his hand out to Mercy "It's a pleasure meet you Mercy." Mercy however simply backed away with a shy expression and refused to take it at which point Pyra quickly interjected "Mercy's a bit shy around new people. It might be a while before she opens up to you. I'm about the only one she'll talk to and even I can't get much out of her." Hal waved it off "Don't worry about it. I've dealt with many people and I completely understand." He then turned and signaled them to follow him "If you'll follow me this way we can talk in private." Pyra and Mercy then followed him in suit

After a short walk they came to a small, yet comfortable, room. Hal showed them where to sit before speaking "Before we start is there anything I can get you? Something like a glass of water or anything? It sometimes helps the witnesses' nerves a bit." Pyra shook her head but answered gratefully "I'm alright. How about you Mercy?" Mercy clearly looked stressed as she meekly replied "How about…out of here?" this caused Pyra's smile to fall in worry and she put a comforting hand on her shoulder "It's alright Mercy. We won't be here long. We can go out and do something to get our minds off this afterwards. I honestly want to get this over with as quickly as possible too." Mercy nodded slightly, the stress clearly not being eased by Pyras attempts at doing so.

Hal took out a recording device and a notepad and placed them on the table. A serious expression then took to his previously casual and friendly one "Alright, tell me everything you two know about what's been going on recently regarding the murders." Pyra was the first to speak "Well, I was the witness to the first murder. It was me who made the first report and gave you the first bit of information." Hal raised a curious eyebrow "Oh? So that was you? It's good to see you again." Pyra continued not bothering to acknowledge the trivial formalities "I was told to stop meddling in the case if I valued my safety and that I remember the voice, though I don't know where it was coming from, was distinctively a girl's voice; someone a little older than myself possibly."

Hal took careful notes as the recording device also tracked every little detail that Pyra was saying "I never got a good look at them, but I encountered them a second time…at my home." Hal stopped writing as Pyra unveiled this new information "You had a physical confrontation with them this time?" Pyra nodded in response "Ya. I don't know how they got in, since I never heard anything. I was going to take a shower when all the lights went dead and I was suddenly pressed up against the wall. It was too dark for me to see properly so the only thing I could make out were their eyes." Hal asked then asked in curiosity "And what color were they?" Pyra answered matter-of-factly "They were actually unique in the fact that they were heterochromic. One was blue and one was yellow." Pyra then took out the small bag containing the small purple hairs she had found that morning "I also found these this morning. As you can see, my hairs white. There's no way they could have come from me. They could only belong to the murderer."

Hal put his pencil down and brought his hands up where he rested his head on them "You do realize what this means right? With this information you'll have to be placed under protective custody. You're the first person to come forward with several valuable bits of information. We now know the killers a female, has different colored eyes, thus eliminating most of the planet of suspects and making our search much easier, and, most importantly, provided us with a valuable piece of evidence that can be used to test for DNA." Hal then smiled "You're an incredibly valuable witness that we can't afford to lose." Pyra looked slightly nervous "I'm glad that I'm able to help. But if I have a bunch of armed police following me everywhere wouldn't that make me even more of a target?" Hal shook his head confidently "Don't worry. We'll make sure to do it inconspicuously. They won't know we have you under surveillance." Pyra fidgeted, nervously but relented "Alright."

After a few more hours of questioning Pyra, Hal decided it would be good to take a break. The three of them decided to go to a comfortable restaurant for lunch. After finishing they made their way around town to sight see for a short while to gather their thoughts and simply to unwind before they would have to go back to the station and continue the interview. Eventually however, the time came where they needed to head back and they the quickly found themselves back in the interview room.

Hal set his interview equipment back up then turned to Mercy a look of anticipation taking to his face "Alright Mercy, it's your turn. Do you know anything about this case that could help us find whoever is doing this?" Mercy nodded shyly "Yes…I know…a little bit." Hal then picked his pencil back up, ready to take more notes as he flipped to a fresh page "Take your time. There's no need to rush." Mercy smiled slightly "Well the murderer…is related to me." This instantly made Hal drop his pencil and Pyra look at Mercy in shock making her ask in unison "What did you say?!" Mercy cowered back at the sudden raise in their voices, almost like a badly beaten pet "I'm…sorry! I…didn't mean…to say anything bad!"

As Mercy cowered, Pyra quickly placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, though this only seemed to make it worse. As Mercy continued to shake Pyra spoke softly "Don't worry Mercy. You didn't say anything wrong. In fact that's a very helpful detail." Mercy looked cautiously and shyly at Pyra "Are you…sure I'm not…in trouble?" Pyra curiously wondered why Mercy seemed to be so afraid of being here, especially after she willingly offered to accompany her in the first place. She knew this would have to wait though since they both desperately needed to hear what Mercy knew so she reassured her with a soft smile "Ya, everything's fine." Mercy then shyly returned the smile and stopped shaking before sitting back up in her seat, now confident that she had done nothing wrong.

After a few moments of recomposing herself, Mercy continued what she originally set out to tell Hal "As I was saying, the murderer…is related to me. She's a very…violent individual who…was originally committed…at the High Valley Asylum." Pyra looked at Hal seriously "That was the place that had the riot and many of the patients had to be put down. It was closed after that wasn't it?" Hal nodded in response to her question "Yes. After the riot they condemned it due to the damage done to it and also due what happened to patients and staff. Any patients who survived were sent to a different facility and any staff either retired or found different lines of work." Hal then looked back at Mercy "But enough about that, we're here to learn about Mercy's relative not a history lesson. We can do that later."

Mercy sheepishly looked down at the table "…Well…she was one of the few… individuals who escaped the asylum…during the chaos…of the riot." Again both Hal and Pyra looked at Mercy shocked and asked in unison "Some of the patients escaped?!" Mercy jumped again slightly, her eyes shutting tightly, as she tried to ignore their bombarding voices before replying "Yes. There were only…three that escaped. Due to their personalities…and actions, they got nicknames." Hal asked Mercy in a tone that he tried to keep as soft as possible so as not to startle Mercy again "What were they?" Mercy replied softly with an almost scared look on her face "Reapers Daughter, Genocide, and Assassin. The one…your dealing with…is Reapers Daughter. You can tell…by the way the victims…are being killed. It's also why…all of the victims…have been people…that originally worked…at High Valley. She wants revenge…for being committed there."

After Mercy had finished Hal's expression turned serious, almost to one of suspicion "You sure seem to know a lot about this. Who they are, their victim's history, their motives, and other details. You seem to know a lot more than anybody else. Even your hair color matches those that are in the bag." Mercy answered in a slightly offended tone "Are you saying…you think I did it? You heard Pyra…herself. Reaper's Daughters'…eyes are two different…colors; mine aren't. Another thing…that wouldn't make sense…is why…would I give you so much info…if I were the killer or in league…with them? It wouldn't…make sense. I told you…she's related to me. Of course…I would know everything…about her. While we do share…the same hair color, that's…where the similarities…end."

Like it did for Pyra, Mercy had to endure hours of questioning regarding her supposed relative. At times it looked like Mercy would break down from it all, but each time she managed to somehow compose herself with the help of Pyras comforting words or Hals reassurance that she could take it at her own pace. It was only because of this support that Mercy found herself able to keep her composer at all.

Hal eventually asked Mercy with a concerned tone "Aren't you are afraid that she'll come after you for telling us all this information? It would be a good move to do since it would prevent you from providing us with any further valuable information." Mercy shook her head "No. She and I…are on good terms…with each other. I'm the only relative…she has in this world. I'm her only form…of relief when she needs someone…to talk to. Not only that, but if she doesn't…want to be found…she won't be. If anything…it's not me…who needs to be… afraid…" she then looked at Hal, with a soft smile "…It's you."

After a few moments of composing himself from what seemed like an almost cryptic warning from Mercy he had to ask her "Just what sort of relationship do you have with her?" Mercy seemed to have to think for a moment "You could almost call her…a sister. I've known her for…a very long time. Over time…we grew incredibly close. So much so…that I grew to know…everything about her…and she grew to know…everything about me."

Hal sighed "I don't know why you would associate with someone like that" Mercy looked away with an almost sad expression "Sometimes…neither of you…have a choice." Hal questioned her further on the topic "Might I ask what you mean by that?" Mercy shook her head "Please…don't. It's a…very personal…and sensitive matter…for me. It's already hard enough…saying as much…as I have." Hal raised an eyebrow in curiosity "Oh? Is that so?" Pyra quickly interjected Hals prying "She's not the most trusting of people. It takes a lot to get her to open up. She may eventually open up to you, but right now it might be best to let her be. I know I've had problems when I've pressed her to far on issues like this." Hal Nodded in understanding "One last question then, might I know her name? If I know that, it'll narrow the suspect down even more." Mercy nodded in agreement "It's Lily." Hal quickly wrote the name down then looked at Mercy and Pyra in approval "Thanks Mercy, Pyra. You have no idea how helpful you two have been today."

Hal then finally stood up, put his pencil down and his note pad away, and turned off his recording device and smiled reassuringly at them. With a small nod, he spoke in a friendly tone "Alright, I think that's enough for one day." He then extended his hand to the two girls "You two have been beyond helpful. I'll call for an escort to keep an eye on you two to make sure you're both safe so that if you come up with anything else you can safely bring it to our attention." Pyra took his hand and shook it politely "Right. Thanks Hal, we'll make sure to do that. We both want this bastard caught and off the streets as much as you do." He then extended his hand to Mercy and to both of their surprise she actually took it with a shy smile "Thank you…Detective. I'm confident…my info…will help you find…my sister. Things like this…need to be dealt with….as soon as possible…after all." Hal smiled in agreement "With the amount of info you have given us Mercy, and the hair sample Pyra has provided us, I know we will." Mercy smiled in thanks back at the detective one last time "I know you will you too Detective." She then turned and left the station, leaving Pyra running to catch up to her "Hey! Wait up Mercy!" Pyra waved back at Hal just as she left in thanks "Thanks Hal! Good luck in your search!"

After a minute or two of running Pyra finally caught up to Mercy "Jeeze Mercy, you could have waited for me!" Mercy looked up to her "Sorry…I just…really wanted…to get out of there." Pyra felt a little guilty for her scolding of Mercy "Sorry. Your right. You did say you didn't like the police." Mercy nodded "Mhmm. I'm sorry for getting…upset with you earlier. I just…don't like to think…about my past. Maybe one day…I'll tell you about it. But considering we've just met…I'm sure you'll understand…I don't trust you enough…with that kind…of personal information." Pyra stretched her arms out, glad at now being free from the confines of the police station before answering Mercy "Don't worry about it. I can understand being reserved. It's not like we've known each other our entire lives after all. Maybe one day I'll crack that shell of yours" she then gave Mercy an innocent wink of her eye before casually continuing down the street, Mercy giving her a soft smile in return.

As they continued to walk the thought of Mercy's knowledge of the killer and her previous statement of not believing herself to be of much help crossed Pyras mind. With this question in mind she asked Mercy "Hey Mercy, how did you know your sister was behind all the killings? I thought you said you didn't think you'd be much help." Mercy looked down at the ground as they walked and softly answered "At first…I didn't. But after I saw…the hair sample…along with your description…and the TV reports…I put…two and two together. She's…the only one…who matches…that description." Pyra nodded, an eager smile on her face "It's a good thing you decided to come along then. If you didn't who knows how long it would have taken before they got any real evidence on this maniac?" Mercy shook her head in an unconvinced fashion "It's one…thing to have evidence. It's another…to catch her. Like I said…if she doesn't want…to be caught…she won't be." Pyra just shrugged confidently "We'll just have to see about that then won't we?" Mercy nodded in reply "Yes…we will."

After a short while of walking they finally reached Pyras home. Pyra looked in Mercy's direction and pointed towards her house "Well, this is my house. If you want you can come in for a little while and rest a bit. It's been a pretty stressful day for both of us. Especially for you." Mercy shook her head but spoke with a grateful voice "Thank you…but I'm alright. I have things…to do anyway. I really appreciate…the offer though. Maybe next time…I'll take you up on it." Pyra nodded in understanding "Alright. I understand. Take care Mercy. Try to be careful out there." Mercy smiled "I will. I hope…you stay safe too." She then turned and walked away.

After watching Mercy leave her sight Pyra made her own way into her silent home. For the first time in a long while, she actually found it a bit lonely after having spent the day with Mercy. Even though she didn't know her very well, she was still grateful for her company. She often found that she spent her days alone doing random activities to pass the day whether it be practicing her martial arts skills, simply walking around town, or just spending time at the bridge remembering fond memories of her family.

After a few moments of just standing in the doorway, she shook off the tinge of loneliness and made her way to the small back deck of their home. She looked up at the now darkening sky with a slight grin on her face, as she thought out loud to herself "I didn't think the interview would take so long. So much for enjoying the sunny day." She then sighed slightly "Well, at least the sky is pretty tonight; a lot better than a wet and rainy one like it's been for weeks now."

Just as Pyra had said, the sky was a dazzling mixture of flaming red and the darkening color of night. The stars were shining brightly and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. It was almost as if they were fighting for control of the sky, and in doing so it created a brilliant spectacle to behold. These kind of nights often reminded her of the nights that she and her family would spend at the bridge and despite it now being nothing but a memory, it was still a pleasant memory that she held close to her heart.

Pyra stood for several minutes just admiring the sky until the darkness began to overpower the raging inferno in it and the stars began shining like millions of diamonds before returning inside. She not only felt good because of the beautiful night, but due to the info that she and Mercy had given Detective Hal would help the police really move forward with the case made her mood all the more pleasant.

Pyra sat down on the couch and, like every night, flipped on the TV to the news channel and for the first time, actually received good news rather than bad. The anchorman spoke in his usual stoic, matter-of-fact voice "Today we have breaking news regarding the recent string of murders across the city tonight. Police reports say they have received new information that could quickly lead to the apprehension of the previously unknown suspect. According to reports, the suspect is a female named Lily. She has long purple hair and has one yellow eye and one blue eye. She is the sister of one of the witnesses who came forward with information regarding the killer. She is an incredibly violent individual and police warn anyone to stay away from anyone matching this description." The news report then posted a composite sketch of what they believed she could look like. Pyra smirked in satisfaction "Heh, try escaping now bitch. Now everybody knows who you are and what you look like."

Meanwhile back at the station, a girl stood outside. She looked up at the sign with a slight smile "They sure figured out a lot today." She then smiled slightly "It's always good to hear good news when all you're used to hearing is bad news." She then walked up to the entrance as she continued to talk to herself out loud "Well, I wish them luck; they're going to need it."

As the girl entered the station she walked up casually to the front desk. The receptionist busily worked at her computer as she spoke up "Excuse me, but is there anyone here i can speak to?" The receptionist looked up from her computer as she grabbed her notepad "If I can get your name I can…" the girl then raised her hand in interruption to the receptionist "I don't think you're going to need my name…"


	3. The Killers Identity

Elemental Furies 2.0 Chapter 3

After about an hour of returning home Pyra began to notice the several sirens both in the distance and close by. Normally she would pay no mind to them, but this time she couldn't help but notice them. The oddity was that unlike hearing them for maybe a minute or two, they had been wailing for almost fifteen minutes straight. She was just about to chalk it down to something like a nearby car accident that had been on the severe end and they needed more help than usual; that was until she jumped in surprise by a sudden frantic banging on her front door to which she quickly answered.

Standing in her doorway was none other than Mercy, a frantic and fearful look on her face "Pyra! They killed them…all of them!" Pyra was confused at what Mercy was getting at so she tried to calm her down and invited her inside. Mercy followed Pyra inside where they both sat down on the couch and Pyra looked at Mercy with a serious expression "Killed who Mercy? What do you mean they killed them all?" Mercy was trembling by this point as she answered Pyra "The Police. She killed all of…the policemen…at the station."

Pyra's mouth dropped in utter disbelief. After a few moments she finally managed to speak "Th-That's impossible! There's no one that could take on an entire police station on their own and not be killed! It's just absurd to believe that!" Mercy nodded in agreement "I would…think so too. But…they must have…planned this…for a long…time. But, it's also…important to know…that you also…don't know my sister. The things…she's capable of…are almost…inhuman."

Both were silent for a long time. It was then that Pyra looked over and for the first time noticed that Mercy's sports bra was soaked with blood. She then pointed this out to Mercy in a shaky voice "H-hey Mercy, I just noticed this, but why is your shirt blood stained like that?" Mercy then looked at her shirt as though she hadn't noticed and her eyes turned sad as she was quiet for a moment "That's because…I ran into Detective Hal. He was…one of the few…who made it out…but still died…from their wounds. I tried to help him…but I just…couldn't" Pyras eyes turned sad as well as she remembered the good detective "Did you get to talk to him before he passed?" Mercy nodded sadly "He said…'it all…makes sense now…if only I'd known…if…WE'D known…this…never would…have happened'. I…don't know what he meant…by that...but I'm sure…we've…got a lot more…to worry about now."

It was after this that tears welled up in Mercy's eyes, something that surprised Pyra "Why…do things like this…have to happen…to good people? Why do…only the good…die young? The murderers…rapists, pedophiles…and con artists…always live long…healthy lives…but people like us…who've never hurt anyone…get shit on! It's people like that…who I want to…kill!" Pyra put a comforting hand on Mercy's shoulder "It's alright Mercy. None of this is your fault. It's about as much your fault as to what it was that happened the people at the police station or the people before that.

Mercy went silent for a moment before replying quietly "They must have done something to warrant their deaths…they must have deserved it." Pyra's mouth again dropped in shock "What did you just say?! Mercy how could you say that?! How could you say those people deserved what happened to them?!" Again, after a slight pause, Mercy responded, a small smile appearing on her face "Forgive me…that was…out of line. What you need to…understand is…it's not me personally….who thinks that…but my sister. To her it's…a sense of justice…though a rather…twisted sense…of justice." Pyra looked at Mercy in a mixture of confusion and disgust "Justice? How the hell can you call that justice?! You're murdering people!" Mercy again nodded in agreement "Your right. But…what you don't understand…is that my sister…is very particular…about her targets. Despite her blood lust…all of her targets…are guilty…of some sort of crime…that nobody…knows about. The problem is…she doesn't differentiate…between a simple thing…such as animal abuse…which is…an easily solved…issue…and murder. To her…any crime…big or small…requires…a death penalty."

Pyra pounded her fist in fury on the table "That's just fucked up! What the hell ever got her to think that way?! What could possibly have been so fucked up in her life as to view murder as the only means of punishment for people?" Mercy responded quietly, but matter-of-factly "when your tortured…day in day out, forced…to kill every day, see your friends…slaughtered…in front of you like…cattle, it tends…to make you hate the world."

Pyra looked up looked back at Mercy in astonishment "She went through all that?! Was she in the army or something?" Mercy shook her head "Honestly, I don't know…what she went through. She…never went through it…any further than that." Pyra sighed slightly "Well, I guess I can sort of sympathize in that regard. When I lost my parents, I hated the world too. I kept asking 'why?' and I never got an answer. To make matters even worse, I can't stand fire now. It terrifies me. Ever since then whenever I see it, it just brings back the memory of that day. I can even feel the heat."

Mercy then took the opportunity to place her hand on Pyras shoulder, just as she had done for her and smiled innocently at her "Good…to know." She then got up "Hey Pyra…is alright…if I use your…shower? I'd like to clean myself up…after all this." Pyra nodded "Sure. Follow me." Pyra then got up herself and signaled Mercy to follow her "It's upstairs. I'll grab you something to wear and then throw your stuff into the washing machine to clean it all off" Mercy nodded in appreciation "Thanks…Pyra. I…appreciate it." Pyra just shook her head in dismissal "Don't worry about it. We're friends after all." Mercy looked surprised "Friends?" Pyra nodded with a smile "Sure. You don't have to know each other long to be friends. I've become friend's people within a matter of minutes before, let alone a matter of hours. I also wouldn't let a person I didn't consider a friend use my shower." Pyra let out a small laugh at her small joke, one to which Mercy shared in "I suppose…that's true. I'm glad…you feel that way. It's a feeling…I'm not used to. But right now…I better clean up." Pyra nodded then made her way to the laundry room and let Mercy have her shower.

As Pyra was about to throw Mercy's bloody clothes into the washer she heard something fall to the floor. At first she thought it might be something she had just bumped off the dryer or maybe the cupboards above them, but as she looked down she was shocked to see not only the note pad Detective Hal had been using to write his notes During the interview but also the recording device and the bag of hairs that she had found. Pyra's head was reeling she couldn't figure out why Mercy would have these things on her. If Mercy had nothing to do with the murders then she shouldn't have these things on her. It would make no sense at all. Regardless, she threw Mercy's clothes into the wash and picked up the items and made her way back to the living room. It wouldn't matter worrying about the reason right now as she would find out when Mercy was done in the shower.

After a short while, Mercy eventually came back down and sighed in a refreshed manner "That was…pleasant." Pyra nodded in response to her in a serious tone "I'm sure it was…" Mercy noticed this and asked Pyra in confusion "Is…something wrong?" Pyra again nodded, this time in confirmation "A little bit, yeah." Mercy walked over and sat down next to Pyra and asked in a concerned voice "What's…the matter?"

It was after this question that Pyra placed the evidence she had found in Mercy's clothes on the table in front of her and looked back at Mercy with a look of suspicion "Why do you have these Mercy? Only the police should have these. There's no reason that they should be in your possession." Mercy was silent for a time, like she was trying to come up with something to justify her actions in taking the evidence. Eventually however, she answered Pyra "Normally…you would be right. However…before he passed…there was one more…thing… that Detective Hal…told me. Just seconds before he died." Pyra responded to her response, suspicion still in her voice "And what would that be?" Mercy responded quietly "He said…to take it…because he had a suspicion…that it was the reason…behind the attack. He said that…if everyone was dead…there would be no one…to test the evidence…or continue…to follow her. He then said…if we had it though…we could still…give it…to someone else."

Pyra then seemed to think about this for a moment before replying to Mercy "if that's the case though, while definitely a good way of thinking, it's not a very good idea." Mercy looked confused "Why…not?" Pyra replied matter-of-factly "Because, if Lily found out, she'd come after us. If she didn't then, ya, that's great. But it's not something I want I want to risk." Mercy shook her head nonchalantly "I'm not concerned about that." Pyra was astounded by her laid back attitude "How could you not be worried?! This is a risk that could kill us!"

It was then that Mercy asked Pyra "Do…you trust me…Pyra?" Pyra looked away, seemingly deep in thought, for a moment before replying "You haven't done me any wrong yet, so I guess I can say I do." Mercy then smiled softly at Pyra "Then let me show you why…I'm not concerned…about Lily finding out. It's also one of the reasons…she has such…a close…relationship with me. Something…I failed to mention…before."

Mercy extended her hand out towards all the evidence that had been collected earlier that day. To Pyra's astonishment the shadow that Mercy was casting suddenly came to life and wrapped around the items on the table and in a few seconds made them completely invisible. Mercy then turned to Pyra "This…is why…I'm not concerned…about her finding us." Pyra couldn't speak for several moments. What she had just seen was impossible, but so was what had happened to her the day before.

After a minute or so had passed of Pyras speechlessness she finally managed to speak "T-That's…impossible!" Mercy just nodded in response, letting Pyra take all she had seen in. Pyra then looked over to her "How are you able to do that?!" Mercy shook her head, the items once again becoming visible "I don't know…honestly. It's just something…I've always…been able…to do."

Mercy then became silent for a long time. In fact, neither Pyra nor Mercy spoke to each other, almost as though they were meeting for the first time. Eventually however, Pyra broke the silence "Is this one of those things that you didn't want to tell me about earlier." Mercy replied in confirmation "Yes. I don't tell anyone…about this. You're the first one…aside from Lily…that knows. I can use them…for a variety of things. First aid…self-defence…and as you saw…I can use them…to hide things…even myself. Though that takes…a lot…of energy." Pyra chuckled slightly "Heh that sounds nifty. Wish I could do something like that." Mercy nodded back with a soft smile "It has definitely…helped me a few times."

Mercy picked up the evidence, then stood up from the couch and began to make her way to the door, "I should…get going. If I stay to long…I'll keep you up…all night. I don't want…to do that." Pyra replied to her in a friendly manner "Don't worry about it. Your welcome to stay if you like you can use my grandparents' room if you like, their bed was always too soft for me" Mercy just looked over her shoulder to Pyra "That's…alright. I've never been good…with sleepovers. I tend to prefer…to stick to…the shadows. If you know…what I mean. But don't worry…I'll make sure…to keep an eye…on you. To see…how you're doing. I'll keep the…the evidence…just as…a precaution too." She then gave her a small smile and left.

After Mercy had left Pyra contemplated several things. Things like what she had just saw Mercy do, what had happened at the police station, who the killer was, and even if this whole ordeal would ever end. As Pyra continued to think, it suddenly dawned on her. The killer could use the exact same abilities Mercy could. Was this why they were so close? Had the killer found a person to bond with in Mercy due to having the same abilities as her and thereby they now had someone they could relate to?

Pyra shook her head in dismissal however, "What am I thinking? They couldn't possibly have the same abilities! Considering the situation of being attacked by a mass murderer I was probably just imagining all of it. When faced with something that's terrifying, your mind can make up some pretty wild things. I could barely see anything anyway. They were probably just holding me there." She then sighed however "But…what if it's true? What if they truly were like Mercy and I wasn't imagining it all…it just seemed far too real. I could have sworn that the darkness itself wrapped around me; but my mind is also saying that it's impossible."

She laid down on the couch and closed her eyes, the many thoughts running rampant through her mind. She wished with all her might that she herself was a detective so that she could help everyone solve this horrible crime, and put everyone at ease and out away such a deranged psychopath. But she also knew that despite her hardest wishes, she would never be able to realize that dream. She would never be able to help ease the heart break of all those who had lost loved ones due to the cruelty of this sick individual nor be able to avenge the slaughter of all the policemen at the now decimated police station, something that still nagged at her.

Pyra then did what she always did and turned on the TV to the nightly news coverage. She knew they would definitely be covering a story like this. Something of this magnitude would be impossible to not cover. She also had to see for herself just how bad the damage really was.

Like Pyra had thought the story quickly appeared on the TV, the live scene already being broadcast. The scene that she saw made her drop the remote in utter disbelief. The scene showed the station now completely ablaze in flames and firefighters desperately trying to extinguish it, five…ten…fifteen or even more bodies, covered in white sheets out of respect for the dead, lined the street, with several more having yet to even be identified.

The only one who seemed to be alive was the one she recognized as the Secretary. Although she was alive, Pyra could tell was severely injured, and her face showed one of complete mental collapse. Several police vehicles were upturned, destroyed, and ablaze. Several rounds from pistols and shotguns lined the streets as the police desperately tried to fight their attacker off, but to no avail. It was blatantly obvious that this wasn't even a fight. This instead could only be described as a complete and utter massacre to the bloodiest degree.

Before Pyra could even register what the reporter was saying she quickly picked the remote back up and turned the TV off as fast she could. She quickly put her hand over her mouth as she felt a very strong urge to throw up from what she had just seen. Not in her worst nightmares or most graphic horror movies had she such brutality. What made it so much worse is that, unlike a movie, nightmare, or game, which you could always just walk away from due to the fictitious nature, this event was not fiction. There was no walking away, no reset button, no simply waking up. What she had just witnessed was real death, real blood, and real carnage. She knew that the death toll had now sky rocketed from just 13 or 14 to around 30 or more in just a single evening.

As she thought more and more about this, she began to feel a hot burning hatred. A hatred so intense you could call it an inferno of rage. She'd had enough of this psycho's brutality and complete lack of compassion for human life. This was no "particular picking of targets", this was just straight up killing for the thrill of it; nothing more nothing less. Her anger was far greater than it had ever been and once she realized this, she was somewhat startled herself.

Eventually she calmed down and sighed again "As much as I'd like to kill this bastard myself right now that would make me just as bad as them wouldn't it?" again she closed her eyes trying to figure out the answer to this seemingly impossible riddle. However, the more she thought the harder it seemed to become and this just infuriated her more. It was like being taunted with the winning lottery ticket: Someone is holding it right in front of you, but every time you grabbed at it they would pull it away, just outside your reach. As Pyra laid quietly on her couch she asked to her family in a prayer like fashion "What should I do Momma, Dad? Grandma, Poppa? I don't want to just sit here and do nothing. But I've got nothing here to help me do anything…"

After a minute or so had passed on the couch, a sudden voice spoke that made Pyra jump. What was odd about this voice is that it was soft, barely audible, and as such she couldn't make out what it initially said. It was also more as though it were in her head rather than someone beside her. As Pyra looked around trying to find the source of the voice it spoke again, this time slightly more audible "…you…who …killer…friend...key." Pyra shook her head "Who's saying that?! You're freaking me out!" the voice answered, again, slightly more distinguishable "we're…of yours…we… protect…"

At this point Pyra began to become scared. She knew she was the only one in her home and yet she was hearing this strange voice in her head. She was beginning to think that all of this murder mystery business recently was making her go crazy. After the second reply from the voice Pyra shouted angrily "Seriously! Who the hell are you?! WHERE are you?! Leave me alone!" again the voice replied quickly to Pyras questions this time fully audible "Our name is Apiphone, we have been your Guardian since that terrible day. We shall heed your wish and leave you be until next you need us." The voice was that of a gentle woman, but one that was also mature; such as one might expect from an experienced warrior. Their voice turned serious however, when they spoke again "But be warned, the killer is close by. Far closer than you realize. They will not let you leave their sight for even a moment. It would be best if you're not so trusting of those around you. It would be wise to remember the 'Tale of the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing.'" The voice then fell silent and no longer spoke, leaving Pyra to freely compose herself.

It took several minutes for Pyra to process what had just happened to her. Not only was she feeling sick by what she had seen on the TV, but now she was hearing voices in her head. Feeling incredibly frustrated she grabbed her head and rummaged her hair in pure irritation "Gaahhh! What the fuck is going on! None of this can be natural! One or two people being killed is one thing but someone being torn in half for no apparent reason, an entire police station being slaughtered by a single person, and now I'm hearing voices?! Just what the fuck is happening?!"

Pyra curled herself into tight ball and a sad look of defeat came to her face "Why? Why can't I do anything? People are dying and I can't do anything to help. The one thing I tried to do ended up getting all those innocent people killed, and now they're most likely after me and Mercy…" to her surprise the voice suddenly spoke up again "Don't feel that way. You're a powerful girl, much more powerful than you realize. Never give up. As you humans tend to say 'where there's a will, there's a way.'" Pyra shook her head at her ethereal "friend" and replied "I thought you said you were going to leave me alone until I 'called you again'." The voice then replied "Please, forgive me you are right; I did say that didn't I? But I feel that what I have to say is important. So please, call me Apiphone. I mean you no harm. I wish only to bring you protection from those who would bring you harm." Pyra then shrugged "Alright 'Apiphone' why are you here making me think I'm crazy by talking to me as a voice in my head?"

It was after a few silent moments that Apiphone replied "Unfortunately, this is the only way to speak with you Pyra. That scar on your chest is no ordinary mark. That scar is a symbol telling others that you are under my protection and care. Anyone who tries to harm you is the same as trying to harm me, and as such I will not stand for it. To me, you are not just someone to protect as a simple bodyguard, but instead a friend, a sister, a daughter." Pyra was speechless for a moment. Although she couldn't see the voice that called itself Apiphone, its voice, HER voice, truly did give off a comforting sound of devotion and love.

A few tears came to her eyes as she continued to speak to this mysterious, yet gentle voice "I've always had someone watching over me…even after that day…haven't I?" she no longer cared if she came off as crazy. Right now it was keeping her mind off of all the horrible happenings that were going on. She had someone, or something, to speak to, and it seemed to genuinely care about her. This alone was enough for her to open up, it's not like there was anyone else to call her out on it anyway.

Like Pyra expected, Apiphone replied in her soothing voice "Indeed. I've always watched over you. Ever since that day. When I noticed what had happened to you, and the chaos ensuing all around you with no means of escape, I knew I just couldn't leave you on your own. The cruelty of that kind of act would be unforgivable. So it was on that day that I vowed I would always protect you." Pyra smiled through her tears "If I could hug you right now, I would hug you so hard you wouldn't be able to breathe. I wish there were more people like you out there." Apiphone let out a small but definitive laugh "As grateful as I would be for that, I wouldn't be able to protect you if I were squeezed to death." Pyra tried to wipe her tears away but found they were now flowing freely "Hah…I guess…that's true."

Despite Pyra's now free flowing tears she found that these were more from happiness rather than from sadness. She had finally found "someone" to talk to; someone who cared for her when she was alone. She still wasn't sure if she hadn't just gone crazy but, for the moment at least, she didn't care about that. She was content to just talk to the voice called Apiphone.

After a little while longer of getting to know Apiphone, Pyra decided it was time to head off. She thanked Apiphone for all she had done for her throughout her life up to this point, then headed off to her bed. As she lay her head down, she said her usual prayer to her parents, Apiphone also reassuring her that she would not allow any of the horrors Pyra had seen today haunt her peaceful sleep, before letting it take hold of her.

As morning eventually came however, Pyra was awoken by the sound of more sirens. Pyra groaned in irritation "Another one huh? I'm starting to not even notice this anymore. It's starting to come off as a feeling as 'just another morning to just another day'. It's sad." Pyra jumped slightly when she heard Apiphone's distinctive voice "I'm afraid so…but be careful. I have an ominous feeling. I fear that today you will have a run in with the killer themselves, or rather the one I suspect is the killer, again." Pyra immediately bolted upright "Again?! What do you mean again?!" Apiphone replied seriously "You have run into them many times. I can't say for sure, so it would be wrong of me to point fingers and name names. My advice to you is to be suspicious of everyone, while still maintaining your usual composure until you know for sure." Pyra nodded "Alright. Thanks for the advice. I'll definitely be careful today."

Pyra then got herself up and dressed, then made herself downstairs and into the kitchen. For the first time she didn't bother turning on the news because she already knew what the news coverage would be due to the sirens passing by. After a quick breakfast of pancakes, something she was actually very good at making, and a few slices of toast she got ready to leave, another pleasant day actually blessing her, despite what had happened last night and what sounded was happening yet again.

After heading out, Apiphone spoke to her with a sound of both seriousness and worry in her voice "Be careful Pyra. I can't help but feel uneasy. Be on your guard." Pyra nodded "Right." She then made her way out into the street being careful to mind her surroundings. Whether she had become crazy or not from listening to this voice, the fact that it was telling her to be careful was enough for her to listen to it. Even without it, just the fact that the entire police station was massacred the night before, as well like yet another murder had occurred just that morning would have made her on her guard anyway.

As she made her way through town she noticed an ambulance speed past her that made her sigh in a mixture of irritation and expectation "Yup…just like I thought. There really was another one. When the hell are they going to catch this bastard?" it was after a little more walking that she inadvertently stumbled upon the scene, and it was brutal. Although one was alive and being tended to, it was evident that they were severely injured due to, what looked like, a missing arm and several bad cuts on the rest of their body.

It took several moments of processing the first victim but when she looked towards the second she was completely horrified. The second had been completely vivisected then had their arms and legs torn off. At the sight of this Pyra immediately couldn't take it and vomited on the side of the street. Apiphone's comforting voice quickly spoke up "It's alright Pyra. I understand what you're feeling. This atrocity is beyond barbaric. There are no words to describe this level of torture."

After a few minutes of trying to recover, Pyra finally wiped her mouth and got back up "How?! How could someone do this?! This is bullshit!" at the sound of her protests some of the medics at the scene turned where she was. One of them signaled to one of the others to see her and they quickly made their way over to where Pyra stood. They were an attractive woman that seemed to be in her mid-twenties with long red hair, a pendant in the shape of a merman holding a precious sapphire, and had beautiful, bright azure eyes covered with a pair of small reading glasses.

The woman gave Pyra a soft smile as she reached her location "Hello there. I'm a nurse assigned to assist in helping the victims here. Is there something I can do for you miss?" Pyra shook her head in response "No, I'm alright. I was just passing by. Though I gotta say, seeing this kind of destroys the mood of my enjoyable stroll." The nurses' face turned sad "I agree. We've seen cases like this seemingly without end for the past month. The case of the police station last night was horrible." Pyra folded her arms across her chest like one would as if they were deep in thought "Ya. I still can't believe it myself. Did they find anything at the scene that could help them find who did it?" this time the nurse shook her head "Nothing substantial I'm afraid. It sounds like the only thing they managed to find was a small torn piece of black clothing that was heavily blood stained, though in a case like that it wouldn't be much of a surprise." Pyra looked down in disappointment "I see. That sucks. If only they could have found more they may be able to go further with this."

After a small pause between them the nurse turned back to the scene as one of her partners called her back. She quickly smiled back at Pyra "I'm sorry, but I must get back to work now." She then turned to leave but turned back quickly "Oh, one more quick thing, don't be afraid to listen to what they have to say. They can be very helpful." She then turned back to her partners and quickly made her back to the horrific scene to do what she could for the surviving patient

Pyra too went her own way as she had no reason to stay any longer in a place that would only make her sick again. But as she made her way through town she had the nagging question of what the nurse had meant of "Not being afraid to listen to them." It was because of this that she asked Apiphone, hoping that she would know something she didn't "Do you have any idea by what she meant by that Apiphone?" Apiphone quickly replied "It's simple really…" however, her tone quickly turned to one of suspicion "…but that question will have to be answered another time. We have more pressing matters right now."

Pyra was at first confused "Huh?" but it quickly turned to surprise as she saw Mercy walking down the other side of the street carrying a small shopping bag. This just confused her "What's Mercy doing here?" Apiphone once again spoke up suspicion, and almost anger, in her voice "Think about it Pyra. What is the one thing that has always been consistent with Mercy?" Pyra still wasn't understanding what Apiphone was getting at "I don't know, I haven't known her that long." Apiphone sighed but spoke in an understanding manner "Fair enough. The first time you witnessed a murder you were attacked by an individual who could wield the shadows, just like Mercy. The second time you encountered her, at the end of the interview, she spoke in a complete sentence, just like the killer. She doesn't speak in complete sentences; only the killer does. She also refused to tell you about herself."

It took a few moments of silence before Pyra spoke "You're not saying…" before she could finish speaking however Apiphone continued "After you two parted ways she said she had 'some things to do'. It was shortly after that that the police station was massacred. When she returned she was covered in blood under the excuse she had spoken to Hal before he died. In a case as severe as that, the medics would never allow some random passerby to come near the scene let alone touch the bodies when they didn't have medical training." Pyra still refused to believe it "No…there's no way she could be the killer! She's too sweet a person!" these denials didn't deter Apiphones arguments however "When she took the evidence there are three problems with that." Pyra was confused with that statement "Three? What do you mean by three?"

Apiphone was silent for a moment "If there was invaluable evidence that had been given to the police, don't you think it would have been a good idea to have destroyed it at the very place that it was brought to in the first place while you were there so nobody could potentially take it and send it away out of your reach? Secondly, if it were me, I wouldn't care if you were my sibling, if I were as insane as this individual, I would kill anyone to destroy that evidence." It was the third reason that really started to begin to crush Pyras denials however "And thirdly don't you think it was odd that Mercy said she'd keep her eyes on you…just like the murderer did while she also took the evidence? If the murderer could use the shadows like her, shouldn't she still be worried that she could be killed by this individual as well as you? Neither her abilities, nor yours, would matter. The fact of the matter is, long story short, whenever there's a murder, Mercy shows up."

Apiphone then spoke in a cryptic tone "If you still wish to deny the evidence before you…look closely at Mercy's clothing." Pyra was again confused, but her confusion quickly turned to that of horrified realization. As she looked closely Mercy's shirt was not only definitively torn, but also, again, stained with blood, though not as bad as before. This realization made Pyra stand still in both a mixture of sadness, anger and, still, a faint feeling of denial. She wanted so badly to deny this. She didn't want to believe that the girl that came off as shy, quiet and even afraid to talk sometimes could do such horrible things. But she also couldn't deny all the evidence in front of her. It was just too overwhelming. After thinking for a few moments, two and two really did come together and she knew that Apiphone, sadly, was right. There could be no other suspects other than Mercy.

After finally resigning herself to this sad fact, she found that her sadness was quickly overshadowed by that inferno of rage that she had felt last night before she had "met" Apiphone. Pyra quickly gave into this rage and quickly sprinted across the street towards Mercy. As Pyra neared, Mercy turned towards her "Pyra? What…are you…" Mercy never got the chance to finish her question as she was quickly knocked to the ground by powerful punch to the face from Pyra. Pyra then lifted her backup by her collar before again punching her in the face then finishing by pushing her away and again delivering a round-house kick to the side of her face knocking her to the ground before she could recover. Thanks to her martial arts training, she had become incredibly fast with these techniques and had even won championships with them. She always aimed for the head area due to it having the best stopping power.

Despite Pyra's vicious assault Mercy was still conscious, leaving her very surprised. Still, she was also somewhat glad because now she could figure out the true motives behind the killings. After a short time of recovery Pyra spoke angrily "It was you all along wasn't it?! You killed all those people! Why?! Tell me the fuck why! I trusted you! Let you into my home! And you go out and do this! What the fuck is wrong with you? You freak!"

Mercy was silent for a moment but an unnerving smile quickly came to her now severely bloodied face "Looks like…you figured it out. I…applaud…you." She then stood up "I…hoped…you'd never find out. I really did like you…you know." It was then that Pyra took a step back in a startled fashion as Mercy's eyes changed color. One yellow, one blue. She then looked down in disappointment "I'd really hoped that I wouldn't have had to kill you. I wasn't lying when I said that I'd taken a liking to you. But seeing as your now a witness to everything, and now know that I'm the killer…" the shadows then wrapped themselves around Pyra and Mercy looked up at her with a psychotic smile "…I guess there's nothing we can do to change that now…is there?"


	4. Flames vs Darkness

Elemental Furies 2.0 Chapter 4: Reapers Daughter vs. Apiphone

After the shadows had completely restrained Pyra, Mercy slowly walked up to her in a manner similar that a wolf might stalk its wounded prey. It was blatantly obvious to Pyra that Mercy was toying with her and wanted to instill as much fear in her as possible. As Mercy finally got close to her she stopped just inches from her face.

Mercy looked Pyra up and down, a smirk that was a mixture of sadistic satisfaction and almost one of pleasure "So…it looks like this is where our sweet, but short-lived, friendship will end. It really is a pity. You were the one person I had hoped to not have to kill." Pyra struggled to escape the iron grip of the shadowy chains that held her in place "You know…bondage IS one of my turn on's… but unfortunately…being killed isn't!" Mercy laughed "You really are an adorable one. I like your sense of humour. No matter your circumstances you defiantly stand up to your opponents. However…" Mercy reached down to the small bag she had been carrying moments before she had been knocked to the ground by Pyra. She pulled out a can of hair spray in one hand and a box of matches in the other "…let's see how defiant you are with this. You said you had fear issues when it came to fire if I remember correctly, didn't you? I'd meant to save this for someone else, but you've become too much of a risk to me to keep letting you live."

Upon seeing the items in Mercy's hands Pyra immediately began to shake uncontrollably as a look of instant terror took to her face. She knew exactly what Mercy planned to do with them. Mercy began to spray Pyra down with the hairspray and as she continued her sadistic mental torture "Ahhh. Now there's the face I wanted to see. Do you know what it is that makes hairspray so flammable? It's the ethanol and butanol. Due to their chemical make-up, it makes it not only flammable, but also explosive."

Pyra struggled desperately to get away, tears welling up in her eyes "Stop! Please! Don't do this! I won't tell anyone! Just please stop!" as Pyra spoke those words suddenly Mercy stopped. The crazed grin fled from her face, the sadistic words came to a halt, and her spraying of Pyra down came to a halt. Mercy's face actually took on expression of almost sadness and longing "'Stop. Don't do this. Just please stop.'" She looked back up at Pyra with a soft smile, one of almost understanding "I said those words too once. I begged, I pleaded, I shouted, I cried. Every day I would say the same thing. 'Don't do this! Please stop! I'll do anything! Just please, stop!'"

It was then that Pyra got one of the biggest shocks of her life when Mercy, in broad daylight, completely stripped down in front of her and her look of understanding quickly turned to one of anger as she grabbed Pyra by the throat "But what did it get me?! Nothing! All it got me were these scars! I begged for all my pain, all my suffering, all the torture, all the cruelty to end every fucking day! And all it got me was more! Fuck you and your pleas for pity! If I had to suffer through it for years, what do you have to bitch about? You lived a nice comfy life, while a nice life for me was not having to resort to fucking cannibalism; which, for the record, I had to occasionally!"

Pyra couldn't believe what she was seeing; Mercy's entire body from her neck down to her toes were covered in brutal scars of every shape and size. Her thoughts were racing over what could have caused the scars, over what it was that Mercy was talking about, and, most importantly, how she was going to avoid being burnt alive. It was then that Apiphone spoke to Pyra in a soothing voice "Don't worry. I told you I would protect you did I not? Everything will be fine. Just calm yourself." Pyra had no idea what Apiphone was talking about and, in all honesty, she didn't really care. Right now all she could think about is being trapped and about to be burnt alive. The terror in her was enormous and she knew she had no means of escape.

Mercy got dressed again, caring little of anyone who may have seen her, and opened the match box "I'm sorry Pyra…but this is where our friendship ends. I don't say this often but…I truly did cherish that small amount of time spent together. But as they say, all good things must come to an end." Pyras terror had now gotten the best of her and she was now crying uncontrollably as Mercy lit the match "Please…I don't want to die! I don't…want to die…like my family did!"

Mercy was silent for a moment as the match slowly burned. A few seconds later however, a look of pure psychotic rage took to Mercy's face and a look of pure horror came to Pyras as Mercy cried out "AT LEAST YOU HAD A FUCKING FAMILY!" she then tossed the match at Pyra and it instantly ignited the incredibly flammable chemicals of the hairspray, completely covering Pyra in flames.

Pyra screamed in a mixture of terror and agony as the flames ignited and began to consume her; inch bye agonizing inch. Amidst this though, she could still hear the comforting voice of Apiphone "Pyra, be still. This is a blessing. Not a curse. This foolish girl has played right into our hands. Instead of handing you your death sentence, she has instead, unknowingly, given herself her own." Pyra couldn't answer her however due to being completely consumed by sheer terror and pain

Mercy just watched with sadistic satisfaction as Pyra screamed in agony. She smirked to herself "How does it feel? Painful isn't it? Now imagine that every single day, for years on end. Never stopping. Just be glad you only have to go through it once. The shadows then let Pyra down and Mercy began to walk away, convinced that her work was done and had silenced yet another pesky witness.

She stopped however when, after walking a few feet, she heard Pyras voice behind her. However, it sounded more cool, mature, and cold. Mercy turned to inspect the source of the voice and was shocked when she saw Pyra, still completely engulfed in flames, standing before her. Mercy could tell that it was Pyra who was speaking to her, but at the same time, she also felt like it was a completely different person who was speaking to her. "You won't leave this place alive this day. The wrongs you've committed are an atrocity; and your acts of blood can only be repaid with your own." Mercy couldn't make sense of the situation and could only think out loud to herself "What the hell…?!"

The next instant the scar that looked like a dull mark on Pyras chest began to glow a reddish colour and the flames began to swirl around her. As the flames came together, the heat began igniting other nearby areas which also began be drawn to, and swirl around, Pyra until she was surrounded by a literal tornado of fire.

Mercy covered her eyes as the flames also began to hurt her eyes due to how bright they were becoming. The heat they were giving off was also beginning to burn her skin and she wasn't even touching them. After a few more seconds of watching the raging "Hellnado" it suddenly collapsed in on itself in a large explosion; directly on Pyras location. Standing in Pyras place was a girl with whip-like wings made of flames, covered in a red suit of armour that had certain areas cloaked in flames, long red hair, burning red eyes, and a Halberd with three blades, also each cloaked in blue and red hell-flames.

As Mercy continued to stare at the rather intimidating sight she couldn't speak for several moments. It didn't matter however since "Pyra" broke the silence for her "What's the matter? Why don't you speak? Where's that cocky tone and arrogant demeanor you had just a moment ago gone to? Weren't you going to kill me?" Mercy clenched her fists in anger "Don't mock me you bitch! Who the fuck are you?! WHAT the fuck are you?!" "Pyra" simply looked at Mercy with boredom in her blazing red eyes "My name is Apiphone. Aside from that, who or what I am is of no concern to you." Apiphone then pointed her blazing halberd in Mercy's direction "What does concern you, is you giving me a reason to not turn you to ash right here and now. You have not only killed dozens of people but, most importantly, you have also lain a hand on Pyra. I cannot and will not stand for this. If you do not come up with a good reason to justify your actions, you'll find that my flames are much more powerful, and much more painful, than yours."

Mercy found herself trembling. This new girl calling herself Apiphone, was definitely Pyra, mostly, in terms of looks, but she had a flaming aura, a different voice, and she was much more intimidating, almost terrifying. Again she spoke "Well, I'm waiting for your reply. What justification do you have for your actions?" Mercy this time found enough courage to reply to the commanding voice of Apiphone "My justification? You want to know my justification?" Apiphone nodded "Correct." Mercy replied coldly "I merely brought onto them what you're threatening to bring onto me. Justice. You want justice for yourself and what I did to you. I want justice for myself and for everyone who died because of 'them'."

Apiphone lowered her weapon "Them? Just what do you mean by 'them'?" Mercy replied stoically, but also with a hint of sadness and regret as well "Have you ever heard of the phrase 'sometimes, if you want to do good, you have to be the bad guy'?" Apiphone nodded slightly "I have yes. However, what does that got to do with anything?" Mercy again replied in her stoic yet slightly sad voice "If you were tortured every day for years on end, with no escape, no freedom. Forced to do horrible things for the enjoyment of others while you watched your friends be mutilated or killed all around you all for the purpose of "Science". Forced to become monsters that can't think for themselves or worse. Wouldn't you be slightly vengeful?"

Apiphone was silent for a moment and for the first time seemed to put aside Mercy's actions towards Pyra and even her knowledge of Mercy's killing spree as she replied in a soft voice "I concur with you. The horrors of that would be unbearable to anyone. It truly would be hard not to unleash your anger on them." Her voice then turned cold again "However, that doesn't give you the excuse to murder innocent people. Let alone lay a hand on Pyra who had nothing to do with it at all."

Mercy found she could no longer maintain her cool any longer and lashed out at Apiphone using her shadows "THEY WEREN'T INNOCENT! THEY HAD TO DIE! ALL OF THEM! EVERYONE I KILLED WAS A PART OF IT! THEY DESERVED WHAT THEY GOT!" tears were now streaming from her contrasting eyes and she almost seemed to have an area of helplessness area her. Apiphone easily negated the shadows with a small wave of her hand, sending a wave of flames to douse them.

Despite the attack Apiphone instead walked up to Mercy and instead of attacking her back asked her in a tone that almost a loving mother would, she could clearly tell that there was much more to Mercy then met the eye "What were they a part of?" Mercy looked up at Apiphone with anger in her tear stained eyes "The Blood Moon Project. The thing that did this to me! The hell I went through for years was all because of them! I won't stop until I kill every one of those bastards."

Apiphone thought for a moment before inquiring Mercy further "Alright, then what justification do you have for the massacre of the police? They had nothing to do with it, yet you killed every one of them except for the receptionist who instead you left mentally broken." Mercy shook her head with a small laugh "You really are stupid aren't you? The police, the army, the government, ALL of them were in on it. The police were paid off so they wouldn't say or do anything about it and the other two were using the successful test subjects for their own ends. I told you, everyone I killed deserved it. That, and I needed to destroy that evidence too."

Mercy then got back up, the shadows beginning to swirl around her "But it doesn't matter now. I'm going to kill everyone who was in on it and I'm not going to let anyone stop me! Not even your flaming ass!" Apiphone again raised her weapon "Is that a threat?" Mercy replied quickly, the psychotic disposition returning "It's not a threat…it's a promise!" Apiphone closed her eyes and nodded in understanding, and a second later a torrent of flames exploded from her aura incinerating everything behind her "Very well then. Let us begin. I'll make your judgment swift and painless so as not to make you relive the pain and misery of your past again."

Mercy cried out in anger "I DON'T NEED YOUR FUCKING PITY!" the shadows then burst from all directions and made their way directly towards Apiphone intent on skewering her alive. As they drew close she merely looked up in boredom "You're a feisty one aren't you…?" with a quick spread of her arms she sent a tidal wave of flames both to the left and right of her and nullified the entire attack completely. She then unleashed her own attack by bringing the flames into the palm her hand and molded them into a highly condensed sphere. With a look of both boredom and confidence she uttered a single word: "Burn".

With incredible speed Apiphone let loose the flaming sphere directly at Mercy. Her face took on one of worried realization of knowing she wouldn't be able to evade in time. There was only one thing she could do, and that was attempt to defend it.

Seconds later the sphere hit its mark, causing an explosion easily the same size as one created by a C4 explosive. When the smoke cleared Apiphone smiled in respect "I'm impressed. That attack would have incinerated almost anyone, yet here you stand before me." Sure enough, Mercy stood in front of Pyra her clothes torn and burned to shreds, barely enough left to keep her covered anymore. Her body was covered in burns of all degrees. Despite this, she looked defiantly up at Apiphone "Well…that hurt a little bit…I'll admit." Apiphone laughed lightly and shook her head in amazement "Ha! You amaze me human. Most people would have given up just from seeing me. Yet you continue to defy me and fight on. I respect you Mercy, despite all the atrocities you've committed"

Mercy chuckled herself at Apiphones comment "heh, ain't I just the lucky one. It's hard to see the respect when you're trying to burn me alive." Apiphone quickly responded in a serious tone "Did you not try to do the same thing to Pyra?" Mercy had to give a defeated smirk as she looked down from Apiphone "True enough. I guess I lose in that argument." Mercy then looked back up "Now, enough chatting. You're not dead yet and that's pissing me off!"

Apiphone sighed. She couldn't understand why Mercy was going so far as to try and stop her. Mercy was obviously overwhelmed. She had almost defeated Mercy in a single attack in which she had put very little effort into, yet she still wanted to fight her. Despite her misunderstandings she raised her halberd in Mercy's direction once again "Let us end this here Mercy." Mercy nodded back in agreement "For once I actually agree with you on something." The shadows then swirled around her "Let's see how well you fight against someone you can't see…"

Apiphone and clenched her teeth in annoyed frustration and cursed herself "Damn you…!" she had forgotten that Mercy had the ability to become invisible for a short time using her shadow abilities. She could hear Mercies mocking voice taunting her "Now then, why don't we see how well you attack something you can't see!" Apiphones face turned to one of defiance "You don't know who you're dealing with do you?" Mercy responded confidently from her now unknown location "Big words from someone who's now swinging blind!"

Apiphone raised her weapon then swung it down sending a wave of flames forward towards the location she had seen Mercy, completely incinerating everything in its path. Instead of hitting its target like she had hoped, the only thing she hit was an empty patch of ground that was now melted into a puddle of magma due to the intense heat. The next instant she felt a searing pain through her abdominal section as she was lifted into the air by a shadow blade as Mercy reappeared slowly back into view "It looks like you aren't as tough as you think you are. I'm a little disappointed really."

Apiphone winced in pain from the wound she received. Still her defiant grin didn't waver "Impressive human. Not many are able to take me by surprise. However, unlike your frail bodies, it will take much more than a simple piercing of the midsection to defeat me, though it is certainly a good start." Mercy was startled both by Apiphones confidence and by her dismissal of the wound that would normally would prove fatal to a regular person. She didn't get much time to dwell on it before Apiphone continued "Now then, how about I show you how to use your abilities to the fullest."

With a snap of her fingers a blazing pillar of fire exploded between herself and Mercy effectively nullifying the shadowy blade tht had run her through and pushing Mercy back, causing even more burns to appear on her. Apiphone was now completely cloaked in flames and now looked as though she was nothing but flames that had been simply molded to take the shape of a person. Everything around her was starting to spontaneously combust and the very air in the surrounding area was rising several degrees at a rapid rate.

She looked up at Mercy, her halberd at the ready "I shall end it here Mercy. I am impressed by your abilities. You not only have survived my attacks, but you even managed to wound me. It has been a very long time since I last experienced a thrilling fight like this. Out of respect, I shall now use my full power against you now." Despite her intimidating words, Apiphone also had an ulterior motive for why she was going to use her full power. As she spoke to Mercy she also was thinking to herself **I must end this quickly…Pyra is already wounded and is not yet used to the Possession process. This will be incredibly dangerous to her body if I keep this up for much longer and don't give control back to her soon.**

Apiphone got ready to attack "Prepare yourself Mercy!" Mercy had to close her eyes and step back due to the searing heat being put off from Apiphone. Before she could recover however she heard Apiphones voice in her ear "It would be wise to not to take your eyes off your opponent in the middle of battle." Mercy was barely able to look over before she was grabbed by the throat, severe burns instantly beginning to appear where she had been grabbed. During Apiphones rush down she twirled, doing a 360 degree mid-rush to gain additional momentum, before throwing Mercy with immense force. As Mercy hit the ground, the sheer velocity that she had been thrown, mixed with the simple understanding of physics, caused her to be skipped several times before finally coming to a stop.

Using her wings tendril like wings as snare, she wrapped them across one of her legs, searing it in the process and making Mercy call out in pain. She then lashed it back to her position and unleashed a blazing haymaker directly to Mercy's jaw, instantly shattering it, and again sending Mercy reeling. This time causing her to hit the ground head first, causing skull fracture.

Mercy was covered in blood, and burns at this point but this didn't stop Apiphones assault. Just as quick as before she was upon Mercy again this time with a merciless kick to the ribs, breaking several of them and, once again, sent her sprawling several feet before coming to a stop. Upon stopping a ring of flame surrounded Mercy. Apiphone held her arm out and with a snap of her fingers the ring of fire exploded into a pillar of flame, searing Mercy and making her scream in agony, despite the broken jaw she now had.

Although the pillar of flame lasted only a few moments, Mercy was beyond the point of mere defeat. There wasn't a single part on here that hadn't been burnt. In all accounts she should have long since been dead even before that last attack. This made Apiphone curious as to why it didn't. Any normal human would have been ash by now but Mercy was not only still in one piece, she was also still alive.

Mercy looked up, barely conscious as Apiphone approached her. She then asked Mercy in a serious tone as she picked up Mercy up by the neck, being careful not to do anymore damage "Why are you not dead? No human should be alive after the damage you just took. You have to be something more than human yourself."

Despite the question, it was more along the lines of being rhetorical than an actual question due to Apiphone knowing, due to her broken jaw, Mercy couldn't answer. Suddenly, all of the flames that had been lit in the area due to the intense heat she had been giving off were immediately drawn to her location and began to condense into a massive sphere above her. Despite the obvious intent that she had for Mercy, a small look of sympathy was on her face "I am sorry Mercy. But this is how it must end. I wish there could be another way. It doesn't matter what you are, this attack will be sure to finish you quickly, and painlessly. Just as I promised you. Perhaps in another time, things could be, will be, different. But in this time, you must accept your place…within the fire." She then unleashed the massive sphere upon Mercy, this one sure to kill her regardless of what she did.

As the sphere hit its mark the explosion it made was enough to level an entire building with ease. A massive cloud of black smoke emanated from the crater that the fireball had made and nothing could be seen due to how dense it was. Apiphone bowed her head in a mixture of sympathy, respect, a touch of regret "Your actions were unforgivable, but so were the actions that were done unto you. If there had been any other way, I would certainly have considered it, but…"

As Apiphone was lamenting over what she had to do it was cut off when she heard a voice. It sounded like Mercy's but it was tinged with a slightly cybernetic tone "Attention: Blood Moon Slayer Assault Unit: 'Reapers Daughter' activated. Warning: System Functionality at less than optimal levels. Suggest retreat until repairs can be made." Apiphone was stunned when she noticed that it was, in fact, Mercy. However, she was no longer the Mercy that she had been previously fighting. She had taken on a form much like her own, except hers was much more cybernetic in appearance. She also seemed to have recovered from most of injuries she had previously just sustained. She had scorpion like appendages on her shoulders, two sword like weapons at her hips and two shadow like claws on her waist. Her hair had also turned blonde and she wore a visor over her eyes while now donning a black armour with red highlights.

After taking in what she was seeing Apiphone clenched her fists in anger "So this is what you meant by the torture you endured, wanting the pain to stop, the urge to bring justice upon them. You were made into this monstrosity. They did something at the Asylum to turn you into this and now you want vengeance. It all makes sense now." Mercy looked up to Apiphone and spoke stoically "Attention: Area is not secured. This unit is in range of potential hostiles. Scanning…Warning: Hostiles detected. Flame user, Codename: Apiphone, Identified. Termination of target is authorized."

Apiphones heart sank at the sad sight she was seeing. She now understood. She had seen this before in the past. Innocent people who had turned into heartless killers due to sadness and anger because of horrible things that they didn't deserve had happened to them. She didn't have time to think about it however as she thought to herself **This doesn't bode well…Pyra's almost at her limit. If I keep the possession up any longer then I already have, irreparable damage will occur…I have to finish this now. If only I had known about this earlier…**

Before she could ready herself however, Mercy was upon her. Much to Apiphones surprise the shadows were now attacking on their own without Mercy's command as they came at her from all sides making it hard for her to defend Mercy's assaults. It seemed as though she had found renewed vigor as she delivered lightning fast kicks, punches, and shadow strikes from every direction.

With the speed Mercy now showed, and the shadows now seemingly having a mind of their own, it felt like as though Apiphone was fighting an army by herself. Every time she blocked an attack by Mercy, she would be hit with an attack by the shadows; but every time she evaded or parried an attack by the shadows she would be hit by an attack that came from Mercy. Time, nor the odds of winning this battle, were on her side; and she knew it.

Mercy unsheathed the sword-like weapons from her hips and ran at Apiphone head on, leaving Apiphone no time to react but to block with her own weapon. As she did so one of the shadow like claws around Mercy's waist took a vicious swipe at her and knocked her to the ground. The other then lifted her back up and the scorpion like appendages on her shoulders then lunged forward, having one go through her midsection and one brutally through her throat.

After a short time of holding Apiphone in the air by the scorpion blades, she threw her to the ground. This time, she opened several gates and each one launched a shadow blade directly at Apiphone, impaling her in various places. Due to her cut vocal cords, the only way to notice her pain was the widening and tight closing of her eyes as each blade met their mark.

Blood was now flowing from both Apiphones mouth and the all other areas of her body due to the harsh wounds she'd just received. Mercy then spoke up in her emotionless voice "Update: Target has been subdued. No further action is required." Apiphone cursed to herself **Now I want to kill whoever did this to her…but Pyra really is at her limit now. I can't continue this. I must end it right here. Right now. These wounds I've just received have only made it worse for her.**

Out of desperation she used the remaining flames surrounding her to condense them into a large sphere in her hand. Due to the blade only being made of shadow, they disappeared after a short time after striking so, using what little strength she had left, she grabbed Mercy by the leg and pulled off her feet directly toward her until she had her hand almost directly on her chest. Mercy spoke up as Pyra did this "Danger: Uncalculated conditions have arisen. Escape is not possible. Requesting permission to release Death Sentence Protocol. Error: Project Leader Vaughn Shiro or Project Supervisor Ailear not present. Access to Killing Frenzy and Death Sentence Protocols are denied."

Although Apiphone couldn't speak, tears began to fall from her face **I am very sorry Mercy. If there truly was any other way, I would have done it without hesitation. I understand now your anger, your need for vengeance…your sadness. Please, do not think of this as a punishment any longer. Just as is your name, this is a mercy.** A few moments after Apiphone said her final farewells to her, Mercy replied to her surprise. Even more to Apiphones surprise was that not only had Mercy begun to show emotion as she was now starting to cry, it was also by what she said, after what seemed to be almost a struggle of trying to figure out what to say "Input Received: I'm…sorry. This unit…is…grateful for this."

Apiphone realized by Mercy's way of speaking, and also by the new signs of true emotion, that she was struggling to fight against her cybernetic self and what she had become. Because of this, tears began to fall heavily and she shook her head sadly **Why do I have to be the one to do this? Please, forgive me Mercy…**

Just as Apiphone was about to deliver the killing blow, Mercy interjected with a warning "Caution: Arrival of potential hostiles has now increased. Awaiting identification." This new piece of information caused Apiphone to hold off her attack. As she turned in the direction she noticed four girls arriving to their location. Three were older, between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one while the fourth was a young girl. While Apiphone was curious to know their intentions, this matter wouldn't be one she could handle regardless anyway since she could no longer keep the possession process active without doing severe harm to Pyra. With this in mind, she instead used the last remaining power she had collected to kill Mercy to heal all the damage she had taken. She then gave control back to Pyra, who then fell unconscious to the ground. Upon seeing Pyra fall to the ground, Mercy got back up and looked down at her "Update: Flame User Apiphone eliminated. Switching tracking systems to unidentified targets."

With that being said, Mercy turned her attention to the arrivals. There were four in total. One had an odd reddish skin color, like that of a sunburn, and shoulder length crimson, almost blood red, hair. What was unnerving is that she wore a tattered sleeveless shirt that looked like it had blood stains and black skin tight pants. She also wore a chain necklace with a skull ornament and a belt that hung loosely at her side for some odd reason. Probably the most striking feature about her though was her eyes. Unlike most people, hers were black in the very literal sense. Like Mercy's red eyes, black eyes were seen in less than 5% of the people in the entire world. She also had a rare weapon used by people known as a whip-sword, easily identified by its flexible and coiled up blade, which could link together as a single sword or break apart to fight at range attached to her hip

The girl standing beside her was one of absolute beauty. Her hair was a deep but shining blue that extended to her knees, snow white skin, a dress style very similar to the Japanese Mieko in terms of having a white short-sleeve shirt accompanied by a flowing red skirt. Like the girl beside her, the most striking about her feature was her eyes in the fact that they were snow white, another incredibly rare feature that ranked in less than 5% of people. Like her accomplice, she had a sword attached to her hip, but this one, instead, was a very long katana. When you looked at the two, it would almost remind someone of the symbol known as Yin and Yang.

The third girl was another girl who was very attractive. She had long raven hair, and a black blouse with a frilled black and white skirt. However, if you looked close enough you could see the unfortunate fact that her eyes were completely faded, a tell-tale sign that she was blind. She also had the tattoo of the mystical bird, the Roc, on the side of her neck.

The fourth girl was one that would make your heart sink. She was very young, around the age of six or seven. She wore a small pink dress, had shoulder length chestnut hair held in a ponytail with a yellow ribbon, green eyes and wore a small bracelet with a small heart charm on her wrist. What was dis-heartening about her was that there was a deep scar across her throat. This was an obvious sign that it had been slashed and she was lucky to have survived it. Like Mercy and the other girl she stood beside she had a tattoo. This one was on her cheek and was of the guardian of the Underworld: the Cerberus. It was also easy to notice that one of her defining qualities was shyness as she meekly stood behind the blind girl and would only occasionally look out from behind her.

Mercy scanned them down one by one trying to calculate the priorities and odds of her situation. Trying to figure out who was friend who and who was foe; if she should fight or flee. After a few moments Mercy spoke up "Warning: Situation critical. Blood Moon Slayer Assault Units Genocide, Assassin and Blood Countess, Scarlet and Crimson Blade, Miyu Tastsu have entered the combat area. Suggest immediate retreat. Addendum: The capture of the Fire User Apiphone would be beneficial for later research. Suggestion for capture is highly recommended."

As Mercy made her intentions and calculations known, the one known as Scarlet spoke up "it's been a while hasn't it tin can?" Still as junky as ever I see. Don't think I've forgotten about what you did at the Asylum." Mercy responded in turn, her usual emotionless tone as strong as ever "Error: This unit is in need of repairs at this time, but is still fully functional. Your assumption of this unit being 'junky' is incorrect. Assertion: the consequences done onto you at the Asylum were justified. Had you not attacked this unit or it's allies you would not have been harmed." Scarlet growled under her breath "See? Damn things are junky all they do is spout off all this 'error' this and 'can't compute' that shit! I hate those things!" again Mercy replied "Error: This unit is fully versed in human speech patterns. The error 'can't compute' refers to the machine commonly referred to as a 'Computer'. This error occurs when the Computer cannot complete the required task that it has been requested to do. This unit is not such a device and as such has no such issues."

Scarlet clenched her fist in irritation "Jesus Christ! Will you shut up already you goddamn tin can!" again Mercy replied but although it was still stoically, it could now almost be considered mocking "Input Received: Jesus Christ: referred to as the son of the divine deity known as God, the Lord Almighty, or God the Father in the Christian religion. Often depicted hung on a cross with a crown of thorns due to having been betrayed by his follower Judas after the event known as "The Last Supper". Some of his most well-known feats are walking on water, turning water into wine, curing the blind, and rising from the dead three days after death. Error: This unit cannot be silenced in this manner due to the hindrance of not being a small metal device used for the storage of goods needed for long periods of time."

After this, almost mocking reply from Mercy, Scarlet lashed out at her. Unsheathing her whip-sword, she charged Mercy head on. Before she could even get close to her however, the shadows burst forth and impaled her straight through both arms and legs effectively disabling her immediately. Mercy made her way up to Scarlet and as she stood over her, Scarlets previously confident attitude turned to one of fear "W-what are you going to do?" Mercy was silent for a moment and noticed that Miyu had placed her own hand on her sword. Knowing that she had disabled one opponent but possibly had three more to deal with, and had also already had a hard fight with Apiphone, she replied to her question "Warning: Attacks on this unit will not be tolerated and will result in retaliatory action." She then threw Scarlet to the ground "Selection: You may now leave the battle field in peace and this unit will not pursue you as a target, or you may stay and attempt to fight further. Addendum: Further fighting may result in death." Scarlet looked at Mercy with hatred "Kind of hard to run when you've disabled my legs you bitch!" again Mercy replied to her in what could be considered a mocking way: "Input Received: Bitch: a term commonly used refer to a female canine such as a dog or a wolf. Addendum: this term is also occasionally used as a derogatory insult to describe someone who is not looked upon fondly by the individual expressing it."

Scarlet clenched her teeth in rage at Mercy's stoic, matt-of-fact way of speaking to act more like a dictionary rather than an incredibly dangerous living weapon, but she knew that if she said anything more she would just be continually responded to in this way, so she kept quiet. Mercy then continued "Input Received: A valid point has been made. Critical injury to the leg muscles has occurred to prevent usage. Applying first aid." The next instant the shadows that had been swirling around Mercy made their way over to where Scarlet lay. As they drew closer to her, her enraged face once again took to one of fear and she began to try and crawl away. She stopped however when Mercy spoke up "Request: Please do not move. Further severe injury can occur if the subject makes excessive movement during the healing process."

At Mercy's request Scarlet stopped struggling and let the shadows do their work. Wrapping themselves around her arms and legs they began to stitch up the wounds that had been made as well as repair the damaged muscles themselves. She winced at the pain of having the treatment done but at the same time was grateful for it, even if she hated Mercy's matter-of-fact attitude.

When the first aid was done they returned to Mercy's side and Scarlet returned to her feet "I guess I should be grateful shouldn't I? You could have easily killed me there couldn't you?" Mercy replied "Input Received: This unit's potential exceeds your own. Attacks are on this unit are discouraged." As Scarlet made her way back to Miyu she spoke to her self "God damn I hate those things!" like clockwork Mercy again replied "God: Also known as.." Scarlet cut her off in anger "I DON'T NEED A DEFINITION! I KNOW WHO FUCKING GOD IS!" Mercy then replied back "Acknowledged."

At Scarlets outburst, nobody in the vicinity, save Mercy's emotionless self, could help but snicker. It was as if it was an oxymoron in the fact that it seemed like Mercy was purposely taunting Scarlet without actually meaning too. She was just following her programming, but in doing so was enraging Scarlet. Once Scarlet got back to Miyu she spoke "Let's get out of here, even damaged she's obviously too much for us. We were here for her capture, not to be killed. We were obviously to slow in getting here, due to this bitch on the ground. She must have been really strong to make her go that far as to use her B.M.S form." Miyu nodded "Agreed. That individual must have had something special about them. Back to Reaper though, I may be good with a sword, but I won't win a fight against her like that." She then turned towards the other two strangers that had shown up "And now that Genocide and Assassin have shown up as well, which we didn't expect to arrive at all, let alone at the same time we did, we'd have no hope of winning." She then turned to Mercy and smiled "Take care Reaper. It was good to see you again. Though I wish it had been under more pleasant circumstances." She then turned to all of them "Until we meet again Reaper, Assassin, and Genocide."

With a small bow she turned and left with Scarlet. Leaving Mercy with only Genocide and Assassin to deal with "Warning: State the intentions of your arrival." Genocide simply smirked as Assassin looked up with uncertainty at her "Come on now Reapie, we haven't played in a long time. Don't you think we should play a little? For old time's sake?" with a snap of her fingers Mercy was suddenly pulled harshly to the ground, and was unable to get up. As Genocide approached Mercy spoke "Danger: Situation Critical. Imperative action required. Scanning for possible solutions"

As Mercy's situation turned cryptic Genocide slowly walked up to her. She looked down at the helpless situation that she was in and smirked in wicked satisfaction. With a wave of her hand she now sent Mercy hurdling back skipping several times off the ground. Despite Mercy's best attempts she seemed to be powerless to stop Genocide. As Genocide reached Mercy again her smirk turned cruel "Isn't this fun Reapie? It's just like old times isn't it? It's just like what we used to do." Her look then turned to anger "That is until you ran away. Ran away and left me behind. Well, now I'm going to make sure you pay for what you did during the riot three years ago!"


	5. Mercy's old Acquaintances

Elemental Furies Chapter 5: Mercy's Old Acquaintances

As Genocide sadistically stood over Mercy, using her mysterious power to pin her down, the shadows suddenly leapt up out from behind Assassin and wrapped around her restricting her movements and then proceeded to menacingly shift into a pair of blades that took an overlapping position across her neck. Genocide immediately stopped her assault as she instantly knew what Mercy was doing. Mercy spoke to her in her usual stoic fashion, but due to Genocides power it came out strained "Warning: Further assaults on this unit…will result in the execution…of the target."

It was obvious that Mercy was threatening to kill Assassin if Genocide continued to attack her. Given that the shadows now no longer needed to be commanded by her and could freely attack on their own, she could very easily do it. What was also obvious was the relationship between the two. Given Assassins very shy demeanor and her hiding behind Genocide for protection when they had first showed themselves, they were likely very close. It was highly unlikely that Genocide would risk her safety just to get a few shits and giggles.

Just as Mercy had planned Genocide growled and seized her attack "You bitch! Involving a child because you're losing! You're even more scummy than I originally thought Reapie!" Mercy quickly got to her feet before responding "Error: Physical age is irrelevant. Assassin has proven capable enough to eliminate mature adults with ease. Addendum: When in battle it is wise to use all tools at your disposal to the best of your ability and to make the most of any opportunity that should arise. Your relationship with Assassin is of a sisterly level and as such the benefits of her being used as a hostage were beneficial."

With Genocide seizing her attack, the shadows surrounding Assassin faded allowing her to once again freely move. As Assassin ran up to her Genocide then took on a fighting stance and, in turn, so did Mercy. Before they could do anything however, Assassin got between them and vigorously shook her head at the two of them in an obvious attempt to try and get them to stop. She then ran up to Assassin and using her hands, she grabbed Genocides. She then began making odd hand movements, taps, tugs, slides, and light flicks between herself and Genocide using both her hands and Genocides. After she was done doing this, Genocide would then repeat this process in return with slightly different patterns. To anyone watching, it looked like two heavily drunk people trying to play patty-cake and failing miserably.

After a short while of this exchange of back and forth, Genocide sighed and rubbed Assassin on the head using Assassin's hand as a guide. She then looked back up to where Mercy was standing "You're lucky Reapie. Assassin doesn't want us to keep this up anymore. It seems you scared her a little bit with that little trick you just pulled. Can't say I blame her. That was a rather dirty trick you pulled even for a coward like you." Mercy was silent for a moment before responding "Error: This Unit merely took advantage of the opportunity presented to it. When in battle it is wise to utilize any tool available to you to sway the tide of battle in your favor. The use of Assault Unit Assassin as a hostage was advantageous to this Unit in securing victory."

Mercy then turned away suddenly as she heard movement and noticed that Pyra had begun to wake up and move. Thanks to the last minute first aid Apiphone had done for her, she wouldn't have to worry about any of the injuries she had received. However, despite the help given, Pyra was still very weak and was having a hard time moving. After a few moments of watching Pyras weak movements Mercy turned to Genocide "Suggestion: This unit proposes that all hostilities be seized until a later time." Genocide nodded in response "For once I actually agree with you. I don't know what happened between you and her, but she's obviously powerful to have made you resort to your Blood Moon Slayer form." Mercy nodded back "Confirmed: Her abilities are formidable. This unit will now disengage combat functions."

With that being said Mercy disengaged her Blood Moon Slayer form and returned to her normal self. Upon doing so, however, she immediately fell to her knees not only due to exhaustion and due to the injuries that she was not only not able to recover from her fight with Apiphone, but also the ones she had sustained from Genocide. After a moment of recovery she looked back up to Genocide "What brings you two here anyway? I thought we went our separate ways after the riot." Genocide's eyebrows furrowed in anger "That may be what YOU thought but not everyone has the same opinions as you. You were the one who left us behind when we needed you the most."

Genocide then looked over at Pyra briefly, as she noticed she had begun to move a bit more easily, before turning back to Mercy "I guess I'll have to remind you later. It sounds like your friend is starting to come to her senses again." Mercy shook her head "I don't know if you could call us friends…" her face turned to one of uncertainty and slight sadness "…not anymore anyway." Genocide smirked somewhat slyly "Oh? Not anymore? What does that mean? Do tell Reapie." Mercy just shook her head "Maybe later."

Pyra finally sat up and brought a hand to her head, as one might do if they had a bad headache. After a small look around to gain her bearings, Pyra finally noticed Mercy alongside Genocide and Assassin. She immediately snapped to attention as she called out to the two of them "Get back you two! That girl's not someone you want to be around! She's the murderer that's been killing everyone around town!" Mercy sighed "I don't think you'll have to worry about them being…"

Before Mercy could finish Genocide delivered a powerful punch straight to her jaw once again knocking her to the ground and running over to Pyra dragging Assassin with her. When she got to Pyras location a look of fear came to her face "What?! You mean she's the one responsible for all the deaths?! Even the police station massacre last night?!" Pyra nodded "Yeah. It was all her doing. She can manipulate the shadows somehow. That's how she did it." Mercy's face took on a look of anger as, unbeknownst to Pyra, Genocide looked back her, a sly grin replacing the look of fear that had just been present moments before. Mercy knew exactly what Genocide was doing. She was feigning fear and playing dumb, just as she had done, to gain Pyras trust. She was making herself and Assassin out to be defenseless bystanders caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time when, in actuality, both of them could cause mass murder just as easily as Mercy could.

Mercy could only think to herself **You sly bitch…you always were good at planning ahead.** she couldn't help but smirk in a mixture of annoyance, admiration, and respect. Out of respect for Pyra, and also for not wanting to continue the fight, she went along with the charade "Awww it looks like my cover's blown. You weren't supposed to wake up so soon. Now all my fun is ruined. Oh well, I'm tired anyway after that struggle you put up. So I guess I'll leave you three alone for now. But mark my words…I'll be keeping my eyes on you." With that said the shadows wrapped themselves around Mercy and as they dispersed, Mercy vanished with them.

Pyra breathed a sigh of relief as Mercy disappeared. She hoped this day would soon end and things would return to normal. But as she thought about it, how was that going to be possible? Mercy was still on the loose and the Police Station was decimated. There was nothing that could stop her. No one but her and Apiphone.

Pyra jumped when she heard Genocides voice "Thanks for telling us that she was the murderer. I don't think we would still be here if you hadn't have told us." Pyra smiled in response "Don't worry about it. I don't want to have any more killings happen but…I guess I can't stop that now that she's gone." Genocide shook her head with a smile "Don't be so sure. We may not look it, but we're a lot stronger than we look. By the way, you can call me Ekaterina. Ekaterina Cacilie; but just Ekaterina's fine." She then gently pushed Assassin forward, who was tightly attached to her thigh "This is Shizuko Senya. Generally she just goes by Shizuko, or Koko as I call her".

Pyra smiled at the now revealed Shizuko as she was put in front of her "It's nice to meet you Shizuko." Shizuko nodded and shyly smiled back in response. Pyra then noticed the large scar across Shizuko's throat and asked her "Where'd a little cutie like you get that from?" Shizuko just looked down as she tapped her throat and shook her head. Pyra then looked at Ekaterina for an answer "You don't mean…" Ekaterina both cut off Pyra while answering her at the same time "Koko can't speak due to having her throat cut a few years ago. She was kidnapped and in order to stop her from screaming that's what they did. How she managed to survive is a miracle. But her vocal chords where completely severed so she's going to be mute for the rest of her life."

Pyra punched the ground in anger "Those assholes! I wish I could have gotten my hands on them! I would have sent them through the fucking wall!" Ekaterina smiled "The feelings mutual. But in a way it's allowed me and Koko to grow closer." Pyra tilted her head in curiosity "Oh? How so?" Ekaterina pointed to her eyes "If you look close, you can see that I'm blind." Pyra quickly apologized "You are? I'm sorry I didn't realize you were." Ekaterina just brushed Pyras apology off with a smile "Don't worry about it. It's actually because of it that, that Shizuko and I are so close. You could almost call Shizuko a sister of mine, hell, even a daughter. I've taught her everything from the alphabet to reading to spelling and math. Of course it's been nothing complex as of yet. Just things that would be appropriate for her age

As Ekaterina mentioned everything she had taught Shizuko, Pyra became confused. Since all of these things would require sight she couldn't figure out how she would be able to teach her these things. This pressed her to ask the question "Um…how exactly were you able to do that when you can't see? I'm not trying to be rude, but wouldn't you need to be able to see the words to teach her?" Ekaterina simply smiled softly "No offense taken. I won't lie, it was very difficult and awkward in the beginning. But over time we developed our own way of talking to each other and how to communicate things. It's actually quite amusing to hear the comments sometimes when me and Shizuko talk to each other in public and no one understands what we're doing." She then let out a small laugh as she finished speaking

Pyra couldn't help but smile in return to Ekaterina's explanation. Her curiosity was piqued though by what Ekaterina had said about her and Shizuko coming up with their own method of communication. It was because of this that she asked "What exactly do you use to talk to each other? My first guess would have been sign language but since one of you is blind you wouldn't be able to use that." Ekaterina simply giggled lightly "Well, in a way, your right. We do use sign language, but it's kind of like a brail-sign language hybrid." Pyra was confused "A hybrid?" Ekaterina nodded "Mhmm. It's a method that only Koko and I understand. It's what makes me and her so close, it's our very own little invention unique only to us."

Ekaterina crouched by Shizuko with an almost motherly smile on her face "Is there anything you want to ask our new friend Koko?" Shizuko was hesitant at first, but she soon took Pyra's hands and began to make the same odd hand movements towards her as she had done with Ekaterina, still known as Genocide at the time, earlier. After a series of flicks, rubs, taps, and touches Shizuko reversed the positioning of their hands and looked up at Pyra with a look of anticipation. Pyra simply stared back at Shizuko as she held her small hand within her own. She had no idea what to do or say due to not understanding what Shizuko was trying to say. Her gaze turned up to Ekaterina looking for help but her head quickly fell in defeat as she remembered that Ekaterina wouldn't be able to see her anyway due to her blindness.

After a lengthy, and awkward, silence Pyra finally spoke up "Umm, I'm sorry Shizuko, but I don't know what you're trying to say. Is there some other way you can tell me?" Ekaterina answered Pyra's request making her jump slightly out of surprise "She's trying to tell you something using out communication method isn't she?" Pyra shrugged her shoulders "I guess. She just took hold of my hand and started flicking me and messing with my fingers and stuff." Ekaterina giggled to herself "Ya, that's our special way of talking." She then pointed beside her and called out to Shizuko "Could you come here for a second Koko?"

At Ekaterina's call Shizuko ran over and stood beside her. She then held out her arm to Shizuko "Alright Koko, Remember what I just said? Only you and I can understand that way of speaking. When I asked if you had anything you wanted to ask her, I meant for you to tell me so I could relay it to her for you." Shizuko nodded before taking Ekaterinas hand and making the same movements as she had done with Pyra just moments before. After a short while of this Ekaterina sighed "We don't even know her Koko. Do you really think we can just talk to anyone about that?" Shizuko responded by making even more odd taps, pulls, tugs, and flicks on Ekaterinas arm to which she shook her head "You're really pressing this aren't you? That's not like you Koko. But you do have a point. Oh well, it's not like we can't deal with it if the situation should arise anyway so I guess its fine."

Pyra was now completely out of the loop on what was going on. She was about to speak up when she was beaten to the punch by Ekaterina breaking the silence for her "If you're wondering what Koko was trying to say, she was asking you about how you knew Mercy was the killer." Pyra was stunned for a moment at Ekaterinas apparent knowledge of Mercy "You know her too?!" Ekaterina nodded "You could say the three of us were roommates for a few years before things went sour between the three of us." Ekaterina's eyes then narrowed, almost threateningly "But our life histories aside, how is it that you know Mercy, and that she was the killer?"

Pyra shook her head in confusion "Hold on! If you know about Mercy, why did you act like you didn't when I warned you about her?" Ekaterina answered matter-of-factly "We don't know you. We'd have no reason to reveal anything to you. There's things that we'd like to keep to ourselves and not let others in on. As they say, 'don't talk to strangers'." Pyra shrugged with a slight tilt of her head signaling her understanding. She could understand that reasoning since she would feel the same around someone new.

Ekaterina then asked again in a serious tone "Now, tell me how you know Mercy and how she was the killer." Pyra sighed in defeat before answering "I was trying to help the police after I found her hair in my bathroom. At the time I didn't know it was her, but she attacked me and warned me not to get involved after I witnessed one of her attacks." Ekaterina asked in an unconvinced tone "If you didn't know, then how would you have found out?" Pyra was quick to answer "The next day I ran into her as I was on my way to the police station to drop the hairs off as evidence."

Ekaterina shook her head "Alright, but a few hairs wouldn't be enough to convince anyone that she was the killer, or at least right away." Pyra then nodded in agreement "Your right, but it got suspicious whenever there was a murder I would run into Mercy. Mercy also showed me her shadow manipulation abilities under the pretense of hiding the evidence after the massacre of the police station; saying she was given it for safe keeping to give to another police station to continue the investigation." Ekaterina answered back, again in an unconvinced tone "Alright, but that still doesn't prove that she was the killer."

Pyra sighed, beginning to get slightly annoyed with Ekaterinas skepticism "When I was held up the first time in my bathroom, the figure could use the shadows to conceal themselves and to restrain me, Mercy then showed me she could do the same. After the police station massacre, she showed up on my doorstep covered in blood under the excuse that she tried to help one of the officers and they had given her the evidence to take to another police station…" Ekaterina listened intently at Pyras words, eager to hear her rational explanation "…I later realized that a normal person would never be allowed at a crime scene. The next day there were two more murders. At the scene they found a piece of torn clothing and, like usual, I saw Mercy walking down the street and she was again covered in blood and her shirt had been torn. It was then that I put two and two together. She was the only suspect." Pyra purposely left out the fact that it was Apiphone, and not she, who made the deduction. She didn't want to come off as crazy by following a voice in her head after all.

After a brief silence Ekaterina smirked "It looks like we've got a promising detective in the making sitting in front of us Koko." Shizuko smiled sweetly in response to Ekaterinas statement towards Pyra who then returned it back. It was then that Pyra noticed the small tattoo of a Cerberus of Shizukos cheek. Curiously she inquired about it "Hey, what's with the tattoo? Mercy has one too. Do all three of you have one?" Ekaterina nodded "Yes. We all got one when we were living together. Mercy, as you know, has got one of a dragon on her arm, Koko's got one of a Cerberus on her cheek, and I've got one of a Roc on my stomach."

Pyra was slightly jealous. She had thought about getting a tattoo herself as she had always admired the intricate detail that was put into them. She then asked the question that almost any admirer of tattoos asks "Why'd you get them?" Ekaterina was silent for a moment before answering "I don't mean to be rude but, that's a subject that only the three of us are allowed to pry into. I would appreciate it if you not delve into it. All I'll say is it was meant to tie us together." Pyra couldn't help but feel that she had offended Ekaterina without meaning to so she quickly apologized "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. I was just curious since they're pretty cool tattoos." Ekaterina shook her head with a soft smile "it's alright, no offence taken. It's just…it's a sensitive and very personal matter that's meant only for the three of us. Maybe, in time, if we form a close relationship I'll open up a little more about it. Koko and I have never had any friends aside from Mercy.

She then turned her back to Pyra "Anyways, it's time we should head out. It was nice getting to meet you. Maybe next I'll ask you how you got Mercy to make her use her other form like that. You'd have to have given her one hell of a fight or made her incredibly angry to make her resort to that." Pyra tried to get Ekaterina to stop at her comment about that "Other form? What do you mean other form?" Ekaterina just looked over her shoulder, a polite smile on her face, as she and Shizuko continued to walk away "Maybe she pummeled you so hard you have no recollection of ever fighting her like that. You were just starting to wake up when she disengaged it so, if that's the case, you wouldn't remember ever fighting her like that. She's pretty nasty when she's like that. Maybe we'll chat about that next time. We'll meet again I'm sure."

With a last small wave of her tiny hand and a cute smile on her face, Shizuko followed Ekaterina as they left Pyra alone in the now scorched battlefield. This too confused her as, due to being unconscious, she couldn't remember anything that had happened. It had all been Apiphones doing and as such she wouldn't have known that she had caused this, only with Apiphones help.

Pyra managed to struggle to her feet, her strength now finally returning to her. She could hear the sirens of the firetrucks inbound due to the lingering fires and the smoke that hung in the air. Because of this, she decided to quickly make her way home and not get involved. She had gotten herself involved in too much the last two days and wanted to have no part in it this time.

After a short while of walking, Pyra could make out the view of her house a short distance away. The entire time she had been making her way home a plethora of questions swirled around in her head. Questions like: what had caused the fires in the area where they were at, what had Ekaterina meant by Mercy's different form, what relation did Shizuko and Ekaterina have with Mercy, and most importantly, how was she still alive after having been set on fire by Mercy and not only survive, but have virtually no injury to speak of from it.

As she rounded the corner to her home a voice broke her from her thoughts that made her stop dead in her tracks and her blood run cold "Welcome home…Pyra. I was…waiting for you. We need…to talk." Standing in the door way was none other than Mercy; leaning casually against the wall of the house beside the door. Mercy looked directly at Pyra and smiled softly, and although it was a sweet smile, it was also chilling.

Pyra couldn't help but begin to shake as Mercy stared her down. She began to step back, fear once again taking its hold on her as Mercy began to make her way towards her. Pyra knew that Mercy had no reservations of killing by now, and after everything Pyra had done to get in her way, she was now frightened that Mercy had come to finish the job that had been interrupted for her.

Eventually Pyra found herself backed against the properties fence line and she now had no place to escape. She was now, quite literally, at Mercy's mercy. If Mercy had the intention of killing her there was nothing she could do to stop it now. Realizing this fact, she fell to her knees in defeat.

Mercy stood silently over Pyra for a moment before speaking "You've caused me…a lot of trouble. I tried my best…to turn a blind eye…to you, but…you just refused…to listen…to me. I warned you…I tried to ignore you…I even tried…to go along with you…to throw off…your suspicions…" Mercy's tone was stoic, but it still seemed to have a hint of annoyance and almost hatred in it "But you still…refused to…keep out of it. You just had…to make a point…of pissing me off…by catching me…and ruining everything."

Pyra was terrified of what Mercy had planned for her, but she wasn't going to just sit there and go with a whimper. In the very least she had to justify her actions for not letting Mercy get away with murder. Trying to sound resolute Pyra retorted "You're a mass murderer! I'm not going to just stand by and let you kill dozens of innocent people! You've got no right to do something so horrible!" Mercy was silent for a moment before she spoke in a chilling tone "I have…every right. After what I went through…they should be…happy I killed them…quickly and…relatively painlessly. You run your mouth…when you don't have any idea…of the circumstances at hand."

Mercy then held her hand out to Pyra "Now…why don't we talk…about what's important. Maybe after we talk a bit…you'll come to understand…my point of view." Pyra shook her head in refusal "Hell no! I'll never associate myself with a murderer like you!" just as quickly as Pyra said this however, she jumped as Apiphones familiar voice spoke up to her "Take her hand Pyra. Mercy's not quite who you think she is. Although she has committed many heinous acts, it would be best to hear her out. The things she's told me are very hard on one's heart and will perhaps make you reconsider your previous judgment." Pyra then responded to Apiphone with skepticism "Told you? When and how did she talk to you?" Apiphone quickly responded "We shall discuss that matter later; but for now it can wait. For the time being, take her hand and let her speak."

Mercy looked at Pyra with confusion "Who…are you talking to?" Pyra quickly responded back, having not realizing she was responding to Apiphone out loud "Oh don't worry about it. I was just talking to myself. I do that sometimes." Mercy didn't look convinced "It sounded like…you were talking…to someone else." Pyra just waved her hand "Like I said don't worry about it. It's just me being me. People call me a weird one sometimes. Besides, didn't you say you wanted to talk? After thinking it over, I guess I can hear you out. It's not like I can get away from you even if I wanted to now." Mercy giggled lightly as she helped Pyra to her feet "That's…very true. I'm very good…at finding people." She then made her way to the doorway of Pyras home, Pyra quickly following behind "Now then…let's talk."

After they had settled comfortably down Pyra was the first to start the conversation "So what is it that you wanted to talk about? I don't think it's going to be all sunshine and rainbows anymore." Mercy nodded in response "I wish…it were but…you're right…what I have to tell you…isn't going to be…pleasant." Pyra scoffed at what Mercy said "I think from what I know about you already I doubt I'll be surprised all that much." Mercy smiled softly "Not even if I told you…that I'm a living weapon? One of three…in fact"

Pyra quickly snapped to attention. This was what Ekaterina had spoken of earlier but what Pyra had failed to understand. Now it would seem as though that question would be answered. Pyra leaned in and spoke with curiosity "Ekaterina said something about you having another form but I had no idea what she meant." Mercy nodded "Yes those girls…you saw earlier… were Ekaterina Cacilie…and Shizuko Senya. They're also living weapons." Pyra was surprised at Mercy's knowledge of the two "Really?" Mercy nodded again "Yes. Ekaterina goes by…the codename Genocide…Shizuko goes by Assassin…and I…" Pyra then finished for her "Go by Reapers Daughter right?" Mercy then nodded once again, though this time it was very softly, almost as though she were ashamed "Yes."

Pyra folded her hands together and rested her chin on them as though in deep thought before asking "So what kind of stuff can you guys do? How did that even happen in the first place?" Mercy's face took on an ashamed expression "That's actually what…I wanted to…talk about." Pyra raised an eyebrow in curiosity "Oh?" Mercy nodded again "Yes. I remember you asked me….at the police station…about my history. Well…I've decided…to let you in…on it." Pyra replied with excitement in her voice "Really? Cool!" a depressed sigh escaped Mercy as she stood up "I wish I could say the same. But my history is anything but 'cool'."

Mercy held out her arm that was engraved with the tattoo of the jet black dragon running the length of it "This is…my seal. It controls my abilities…level of power so as not…to have them go…out of control. It also allows me to activate…what's called my Blood Moon Slayer Assault Unit form or simply…BMSAU or BMS for short." Pyras eyes were almost sparkling with excitement and curiosity. Although she would certainly admit that she was indeed still intimidated and afraid of Mercy, the thought of having the ability to switch a normal human to something that could take on armies by themselves was strangely appealing to her.

Pyras curiosity was getting the best of her and she began asking questions about Mercy's other form "So what does it let you do? Does it make you, like, a one man army or something? I'll bet you could kick a lot of ass like that!" Mercy shook her head "It's not enjoyable to use…due to what…it does to me. Nor was it enjoyable…to become like this…to say the least." At this statement Pyras curiosity turned to one of concern "What do you mean 'what it does to you'?" Mercy sighed, but despite the sigh, she startled Pyra as her eyes changed color to their Heterochromia state. "It's obvious the one I fought wasn't you, or if it was, you don't remember. So, I'll show you since, as they say, you can't deny what's in front of you. Just try not to freak out."

Mercy placed her hand on her tattoo "Seal Release: Reapers Daughter." at the uttering of her words the shadows burst forth from all directions and wrapped themselves around Mercy, concealing her for a period of time. Once the shadows had dispersed, Mercy's cybernetic self now stood in her original place much to Pyras awe "Alert: Blood Moon Slayer Assault Unit: Reapers Daughter is now active. Awaiting orders."

Pyra couldn't believe her eyes. She knew what she was about to see was going to be pretty wild, but this was beyond what she was expecting. She didn't expect Mercy to go full on android or something along those lines. As Pyra was trying to process this new sight, Mercy spoke "Warning: Fire user Apiphone is within the vicinity. Suggest immediate action." Pyra quickly got up "Woah woah! I'm Pyra! I'm not Apiphone! Even if you were going to do something can we not do it in my house?!" Mercy was silent for a time but eventually responded "Acknowledged: request is acceptable. These confined quarters are not suitable for combat and pose a significant risk to both the target and this unit."

Pyra didn't know what to say. It seemed as though Mercy was intent on fighting her again. Mercy had intended to show her this form but now it seemed like it was getting out of hand quickly. Before she could think of anything to say, Apiphones voice chimed in "Do you see now? It was me, and not, you who fought her. This is why she is confusing you for me. I shall explain that later, but this is why you must hear her out." Apiphones voice then grew sad "What you see before you is the source of Mercy's anger. It is the source of all her anger, her pain, and her sadness. It is because of what has happened to her that she has done these horrible things. What you see before you is something that has taken all the joy and happiness from her life and as such she will never reach her full potential without it. We all have something that helps us thrive, for someone in her case, love, honesty, and happiness are the most important things she could hope to experience."

After listening to Apiphones explanation Pyra sadly nodded in agreement "Your right…I don't know how this happened but if even your saying it, then something bad must have happened." Apiphone agreed "I do not know all the details, but it has to do with her time in the Asylum. And many people, including those at the police station were in on the scandal." Pyra's eyes widened in disbelief "are you serious?!" Apiphone replied matter-of-factly "Yes. Mercy's emotions were clear and genuine with the information she revealed to me. She truly did have a past that even the worst cannot compare to."

After processing all of this information Pyras emotions began to tug at her. She now began to feel guilty for how she had treated Mercy, but at the same time still felt anger for all she had done to her victims. Pyra stood up and began to walk towards Mercy who took on a threatening stance towards her "Warning: Stand down. Assaults on this unit will result in severe injury or death." Pyra merely smiled "Its ok Mercy. I don't mean to fight you or cause you any harm. I just want to talk to you. That's all." Mercy responded to Pyra in her usual stoic manner as per the norm in this form "Acknowledged: State the topic of which you would like to discuss."

As Pyra drew close to Mercy she smiled sadly up at her. She now understood what Apiphone had meant about Mercy not being who Pyra thought she was. She could tell, just by how Mercy responded, that she wasn't some cool one many army that could take on anyone by themselves then just walk away shouting "like a boss!". She instead was a do-as-ordered, emotionless, living weapon who couldn't think for herself. She knew that if she had ended up like that she'd probably hate the world and want to watch it burn too.

To answer Mercy's question she simply replied "You." Mercy then replied back "Inquiry: Specify what is it that you would like to know about this unit?" Pyra then shook her head "You can tell me in your regular form. You used that form only to show me what you meant by your Blood Moon Slayer form. If you want to call it a mission, you've accomplished it already. You can deactivate it now…or whatever it is you do to return back to normal." Mercy nodded slightly "Acknowledged: Disengaging Combat Systems."

Just as quickly as she had entered her BMS form, Mercy returned to normal. She then looked Pyra square in the eye "You scared yet?" Pyra simply shook her head "No. But I can say that I feel sorry for you. I didn't realize that it would be like that." Mercy then sat back down on the sofa "Mhmm. That's why I hate it. It's also why I want to talk to you. Though I hope you've got the time." Pyra nodded "Ya. I don't really have much planned for the rest of the day." Mercy smiled half-heartedly "Good. I also hope you have a strong stomach, because this is going to be a long, and disturbing, story."


	6. Mercy's Past

Elemental Furies Ch.6(A): Mercy's Past

Mercy took a deep breath in preparation to tell her tale of suffering and hatred of the world to Pyra. After a moment she stared directly at Pyra "It started six years ago, when I was only twelve that I made my first kill." Pyra was shocked at Mercy's revelation of already being a murderer so young "You killed someone at only twelve?! Who did you kill?" Mercy replied matter-of-factly to Pyra's question "It was the headmaster of an orphanage. I was an accident made by two idiots who couldn't keep it in their pants. I was only about five when they decided they'd had enough of their little mistake and just dropped me off at a local orphanage and flipped me the bird and left. Never heard from them again."

Apiphone softly spoke to Pyra "Humans can show undying love, however, they can also show incredible cruelty. To do something like this to a child is unforgivable and is already sowing the seeds of despair and anger." Pyra nodded inconspicuously in agreement to Apiphones deduction as Mercy continued "For the next seven years I had to endure the other little fuckers of the orphanages' cruelty and mockery of how I had been abandoned." Mercy then broke eye contact with Pyra and just looked down at the floor, a slight frown taking to her face, though out of anger or sadness was impossible to tell "One day I was approached by the headmaster and he made a proposition to me. He said if I 'played a game' with him he could ensure me a proper home where I'd never have to worry about anything."

Pyra was disgusted with what Mercy was saying. She knew exactly what Mercy meant when she said that the headmaster wanted to "play a game". Mercy continued with her story "Given how young I was, and being a complete fucking idiot, I agreed and the next thing I knew the guy was having his way with me. The guy was over two hundred pounds and I wasn't even half that size. There was no way I'd be able to stop him from straddling me." as Mercy recalled the event the shadows began to angrily swirl around her "The pain I felt from being ripped open by that bastard was unbearable, yet nobody did a damn thing to help me."

Pyra was intimidated by the angry shadows swirling around Mercy, but she too was feeling a burning hatred for the headmaster now. Her own thoughts on pedophiles were that they deserved nothing short castration in the very least. Pyra spoke softly to Mercy "So how did you escape?" Mercys face took on an unnerving smirk as she looked back up at Pyra "I did what anyone would do in a bad situation; I fended for myself. The orphanage often had a lot of mail come through so he kept a letter opening knife on his desk to read them when they came. I took that knife and cut his throat with it."

Pyra's widened "You slit his throat?!" Mercy shrugged her shoulder "It was more of a papercut than an actual direct cutting; it was more just to get him off me. But, it worked enough for me to get back on my feet and play my own game with him." Pyra was now morbidly curious "What did you do?" Mercy just smirked, a hint of sadistic satisfaction showing through "I saw red. I started off by driving it through that pig's fat stomach. After he stumbled a bit and fell I just went to town. Face, hands, arms, legs, chest, I didn't care; I just wanted him to suffer like I did." Her face then took on a look of sadness, shame, and guilt "Do you have any idea what it feels like to be forced to lose your virginity at only twelve? Especially to someone you have no feelings for? It's horrible. You feel tainted, unclean, and unworthy of anything anymore…" Her expression quickly turned back to one of sadistic satisfaction however as she continued "…unfortunately for him he wouldn't get the satisfaction of seeing my tears. Once I realized that after all my slashes and stabs still weren't enough I decided to take what was precious to him, just as he took what I held precious from me." Pyra was quickly becoming more and more unnerved "Don't tell me you…" Pyra never got to finish her sentence as Mercy finished it for her "Your damn right I did! I cut that fuckers dick off then shoved both it and the knife down his fucking throat. I gotta say, the screams and bloody gurgles he made were a lot more arousing than I thought they'd be. Guess I liked it rough a little more than I thought."

Pyra bent forward as a wave of nausea flooded her "Ok…I think I'm going to be sick!" Mercy just smirked in amusement "You're already sick after just the first part? Come on, we haven't even gotten to the good parts yet. Jeeze, you're such a wimp. This is all still sunshine, bunnies, and fucking rainbows compared to what I've still got to tell you."

Apiphones ethereal voice once again spoke to Pyra "This is indeed horrible. To have a child suffer through such a thing is an atrocity. I am inclined to agree with her that this man deserved the punishment he got, even if it was a bit on the extreme side." Pyra again nodded very slightly in agreement so as not to attract Mercy's suspicion before responding to Mercy "I'm sorry. I knew that this was going to pretty messed up from the beginning, but I wasn't expecting this." Mercy let out a small laugh "Flower, if you think this is messed up then you better get the puke bucket ready because this is just the appetizer. We haven't even touched the main course or dessert yet."

Pyra was confused and a little startled at the sudden nickname. Mercy came off as a violent, unpredictable individual now that Pyra knew who she really was. She didn't seem the type to give cute little nicknames. This inclined her to ask "Flower? What's with the sudden name calling?" Mercy smirked slightly, almost like a veteran soldier would to a new recruit, and replied "It's a metaphor. You're soft, delicate, beautiful, and ignorant of the world around you; just like a flower is. But just like a flower, all it takes is a small little cut or strong pull and you'll fall down dead. Though I suppose not all flowers are completely defenseless either. The flower known as Nightshade is beautiful, but it's also deadly." Mercy then gave Pyra a small wink, much to her confusion "What's with the wink?" Mercy simply shook her head with a smirk "Don't worry about it." Apiphone then suddenly spoke up with her own answer "I may be wrong on this matter, but I feel as though Mercy is not referring to you Pyra, but rather to me. However, do not be concerned about that right now. I shall explain everything later. For now, focus your attention on Mercy's tale." Pyra was confused at Apiphones deduction but didn't say anything. She was more focused, and uneasy, on what Mercy had to say next.

Mercy then continued her horrific story "After a few minutes of delivering that bastards just desserts, some of the caretakers came to see what the commotion was about. Once they walked in on us they were, to put it lightly, a bit shocked at what they saw." Pyra retorted sarcastically "Well if I walked into a blood soaked room with a twelve year old making a guy deep-throat a knife along with his own dick I'd probably be a little surprised myself." Mercy laughed out loud at Pyra's comment "Wow! For a flower, those words have got a few thorns to them! I didn't take you for someone who would speak like that. You seem too much like a goody-goody." Pyra again replied sarcastically "Thanks, I think." Her voice then turned serious "So what happened next? I'm assuming they didn't just say 'oh you're a mess let's get you washed up for dinner'" Mercy nodded "After that I was committed to the High Valley Asylum, which is where my real story begins."

Pyra was eager to hear the rest of the story, but if she had been so disturbed by just the beginning and what Mercy was about to tell her, couldn't begin to imagine the amount of disturbing images and amount of nauseous feelings she was going to have to soon endure. She didn't have much time to dwell on it however as Mercy began to recall the next part of her history "The High Valley Asylum was known to be incredibly good to its patients. Anyone who visited there would see that the employees were caring, considerate, helpful, and catering." Pyra was confused at Mercy's description of the asylum "If it was like that then what made it so bad for you?"

For a moment Mercy was silent before getting up "Forgive me for this…" Pyra was caught off guard momentarily as Mercy lightly touched her forehead with her fingertips "huh?" the next thing she knew however, she was flooded with a searing, agonizing pain that felt like she were being ripped open with knife. Pyra instantly fell to the ground in agony "GAAAHHHH! WHAT…WHAT THE FUCK DID…YOU DO?!" Mercy knelt down beside Pyra and spoke to her in an indifferent tone "I've made your pain receptors go haywire. Not only can I control the shadows, but I can also control pain levels. I can turn a mere touch into feeling like you were getting your arm ripped off." She then snapped her fingers and just as fast as it had come, the searing pain flooding Pyra subsided into nothing.

Pyra was livid at the sudden assault on her person "What the fuck was that about?! I don't even do anything and you just attack me? I simply asked you what was so bad about the fucking place if everyone seemed nice and you just come over and attack me? Like, what the hell?!" Mercy replied to her in a matter-of-fact voice "You didn't see it coming did you. I could have done this to you in the middle of the street and no one would have suspected a thing. I could play the part of a concerned bystander or friend when in actuality, I was the one who did it to you." Pyra wasn't satisfied with Mercy's answer "What the hell does that got to do with my question?!" again, Mercy replied matter-of-factly "Everything. Just as I could do this without being caught in the middle of the street, the High Valley Asylum was doing the same thing to its patients."

This part did interest Pyra "How would they be able to get away with something like that? Wouldn't they be caught pretty easily if they abused patients?" Mercy shook her head "They were conducting horrific experiments on them in another area of the Asylum that wasn't shown on the layout of the building. This allowed them to get away with atrocities and nobody would be the wiser about it." Mercy then held out her hand to help Pyra up "I apologize for that, but I felt it was necessary to show you what someone could get away with without getting caught. It can be something major, and you can still get away with it if you're smart."

Pyra was still annoyed with what Mercy had done to her, but took her hand anyway. She knew that she would just have to put it aside for now if she wanted to learn the rest of Mercy's history. After seating herself again, Pyra asked inquisitively yet seriously "So what kinds of experiments were they doing?" Mercy was quick to answer "They were trying to figure out how they could cut down on military and prison costs by using inmates and asylum patients as living weapons." Pyra sat up with a mixture of confusion and disbelief "Living weapons?! That's impossible! How the hell would they do that?!" Mercy just chuckled "Impossible? That's a pretty stupid thing to say Flower. Did you forget that you're sitting right in front of one?"

Pyra had indeed forgotten. She had gotten so immersed in what Mercy had been saying that what Mercy had previously shown her had completely slipped her mind. This caused her to reply meekly "Your right, I'm sorry. It's just something like that is hard to believe even when you see it in person. And would you please stop calling me "Flower"? It's kind of weird hearing you call me that." Mercy just smirked "You better get used to it Flower. Until you shape up and get used to the cruelty of the world and quit getting sick over a little bit of intestines spread over the floor or a severed limb or two strewn across the room, you're still just a delicate and innocent little flower to me."

After teasing Pyra for a short while Mercy turned back to her recollection of her time at the Asylum "When I was committed to the High Valley they decided, after killing someone over twice my size, that I would be inducted into the Blood Moon Project, despite my young age. Right off the get-go I was subjected to their experimentation." Pyra responded in a tone of disbelief "what the hell was wrong with those people?! Subjecting a girl who's not even a teenager yet to something like that?!" Mercy leaned back in her chair, almost as though trying hard to recall the memories "But that's not even the worst of it." Pyra raised an eyebrow in curiosity "what do you mean? How could it get any worse then that?" Mercy chuckled slightly at Pyra's question "While not being experimented on, I was locked up in a small cell with several other patients. During that time I had to endure things like starvation, beatings, and rape. When you're locked up nearly 24/7 and you only have one or two girls in the cell with ten guys, it gets pretty tempting for the guy after a while to jump on the opportunity. Whether she likes it or not. What's even worse, is that they would often take turns. One would hold you down, while the other would have his way with you then they would switch off."

Pyra began to shake in fury at what Mercy was telling her. She was beginning to understand her hatred for the world and her reasoning for killing all of the people who had ties to the High Valley Asylum. She knew that if it had happened to her, she too would most likely do the same thing. As the boiling rage swirled within her Apiphone spoke up "The cruelty she has endured is far greater then even I could have ever guessed. Surely all those involved would have gotten the death penalty for their actions. After considering the circumstances, even if the event had occurred years ago, Mercy is indeed justified in her actions. I too would have unleashed a terrible fury upon all those involved in this atrocity."

Pyra nodded slightly to Apiphone's statement, but she still wanted to know exactly they did to Mercy "Hey Mercy, you said that they did experiments on the patients to turn them into living weapons right?" Mercy nodded "Yup. What about it?" Pyra was almost hesitant to ask "What exactly did they do to you to make you that way?" Mercy sighed "Every couple weeks they would strap me down, and use those bloody scalpels of theirs to cut me open and just go to town on me doing all sorts of things from injections to vasectomies to body part replacement. Half of what you see of me has been replaced by cybernetics thanks to those bastards. They wanted to make obedient slaves, so to do that they needed to replace a few things to ensure their cooperation." Pyra couldn't say anything. What she had heard was beyond horrible, it was beyond comprehension even. Still, she tried to keep her composer as she began to feel a burning anger begin to rise within her "But…you look so normal besides those scars."

Mercy smirked as she got up and walked over to Pyra. As she approached her she took Pyras hand and placed it upon chest "Feel anything out of the ordinary?" Pyra's eyes widened in shock as Mercy placed her hand over her chest, not because of the bold gesture, but because of the vital thing that all humans need to survive was missing: a heartbeat. Pyra struggled to form words "H…how are you still alive?! You should be dead! No one can survive without a heart!"

Mercy sat back down before replying "My heart was replaced with something similar to a pacemaker. It does all the things a heart would do. It filters the blood in my body, it circulates it to my vital organs, and everything else needed for me to survive. Unlike a regular human heart though, it's much more resilient to damage. It has the ability to repair itself at a rapid rate so as to keep the person from dying prematurely and therefore allow them to fight as long as possible. They didn't want their precious science projects to die from a mere hit to the chest after all." Pyra shook her head in disgust "That's just sick! How would you be survive in the first place! Shouldn't you be dead just from the removal?!" Mercy chuckled a bit "Believe me Flower, I was wishing I was. But they had some really skilled hands. Even I don't know how I lived through it."

Pyra was beginning to get to the point of beyond believing, yet what Mercy had shown her earlier was definitive proof that she was telling the truth. Because of this she just kept silent and listened "After each series of tests were complete, we would be given a couple days recovery time then be forced to fight another inmate in a match called a Slaughter Show. High up military and government officials would be invited to view these shows to try and convince them to fund the project. Depending on how sadistic they were feeling that particular day, some of the matches would even be to the death. The winner would be rewarded by getting out of an experiment or two or sometimes better living conditions and treatment. The loser would immediately be taken for experimentation to 'improve performance'. Fuckers wouldn't even give the poor bastards anesthetics"

Pyra stood up in frustration and yelled "How the hell would they even be able to do all of this?! How would they be able to figure out how to give people the ability to use the shadows as weapons?! Why would nobody try and stop them?!" Mercy smiled softly up at Pyra, almost with a look of appreciation "To this day I don't know how they did it, but they somehow figured out how to give various abilities to various inmates. Everybody was in on it: The Cops, the Government, the Doctors, everyone. They knew if the project was successful it would be a huge breakthrough for military power and would make the need for things like foot soldiers, tanks, military aircraft, and other things obsolete. It was because of this that after a while the inmates came together and revolted. They turned the entire Asylum into their own version of a Slaughter Show."

Pyra couldn't understand this part given Mercy's description of the test subjects gaining abilities "You said that they turned the Asylum into their own version of this 'Slaughter Show' thing, but when we were talking to detective Hal you said that only three ended up escaping and that was Assassin, Genocide, and yourself. What happened to the others? From the sounds of it, if they all gained powers like yours, I would think they would all have escaped." Mercy shook her head "Unfortunately for them, some of the inmates had already become fully turned into living weapons and had no mind of their own anymore. Because of this, they weren't only dealing with killing their detainers, but also other test subjects that could kill them just as easily."

As Pyra continued to listen to Mercy's story she remembered how Ekaterina and Shizuko were mentioned to have originally been acquaintances with Mercy. Given that Mercy had failed to mention anything about them throughout her recalling of her tale, it pressed her to ask "So where and how did you meet up with Shizuko and Ekaterina? You haven't said anything about them." Mercy smirked at Pyras question "Noticed that did you? It's something I don't like talking about due to our parting on a sour note. Due to a bad misunderstanding she's come to hate me. But if you really need to know we were introduced to each other during a Slaughter Show…"

********************************FLASHBACK****************************

I glance around the blood stained walls of the arena and let out a sigh as I prepare for yet another senseless impending bloodbath. I had to admit though, today was going to be a battle to the death and days like these were a great way to relieve all the frustration that I have to keep pent up; in more than one way. Hey, gotta find some way to get your rocks off right? You don't have much privacy when you're sharing a 10x20 cell with ten other people.

I look up in annoyance as the announcer begins to spout his bullshit

"And today's first contestant will be one who may come off as the shy and silent type, but don't let that fool you, this girl can still cause plenty of mass mayhem and destruction if you get taken in by that innocent look of hers. Introducing: The girl who cries tears of blood, Genocide!"

I hear the roar of all the sick individuals cheering as a frail looking girl in a frilled black dress takes her place in the arena in front of me. **Fuck, this girl looks pitiful…**I think to myself as I stare in amazement at the pathetic sight in front of me. How the fuck can you even call this a fight when she looks like she's about to piss herself just by entering the ring?

The announcer once again starts running his mouth again much to my annoyance "And next up, a seasoned veteran with an impressive kill streak who's responsible for most of the bloodstains on these walls! The offspring of death himself and everyone's fan favorite: Reapers Daughter!"

I find myself clenching my fists in a mixture of annoyance, anger, anticipation, and the feeling of just wanting to kill someone so I can get rid of the feeling of needing to get my rocks off. This feeling was enhanced further when I heard the crowd shouting my name over and over. Heh, these fuckers actually think I appreciate them as fans. I'd kill every one of them this second if I could.

"Alright everyone, the combatants are set! The Reapers Daughter vs. Genocide! LET'S GET READY TO SLAUGHTER!"

I hear the chime of the alarm and I rush down the girl in front of me. Using my control over the shadows around me, I manipulate them to restrain both her hands and feet. Being restrained, she'd have no way to strike back at me; and now she wouldn't be able to run even if she wanted to either.

"It looks like Reaper's Daughters already restrained Genocide! This already puts Genocide in a bad position! What'll she do to get out of this?!" 

As I hear that damn announcer prattle on the urge to kill something, anything, rises in me. As I draw close I use the shadows to form a blade in my hands intent on delivering the fatal strike. A feeling of excitement washes over me as the blade comes down on my next helpless kill, intent on slicing off that pretty little neck of hers.

"And it looks like it was over before it even began folks! Just like we'd expect from her! Reapers Daughter is unmatched in the art of killing!"

As my shadow blade reaches its mark my eyes widen in shock as it stops just as it touches the side of her neck, just barely enough to cause a small cut. No matter how much I try I can't seem to move it. As I try to figure this out it suddenly dawns on me. I never noticed it before but I feel…weightless; as though I was walking on air. I look down at my feet and gasp in surprise as I look her directly in the eyes "What the fuck did you do bitch?!" defying all laws of reality I was literally suspended in mid-air, unable to move a single muscle. She looks up at me with sickeningly sweet, yet sadistic eyes…

" **I can see where you get your nickname. Your one who goes straight for the kill while also making it impossible for your opponent to escape. That's quite impressive. However, I think it's time to enlighten you on how I got my nickname."**

The next thing I know I'm slammed hard to the ground as she makes a simple wave downward. I wince in pain as I feel my ribs crack from the impact, but it's going to take a lot more than that to beat me. After the shit I go through every day, this is nothing but a pleasant massage to get those irritating sore muscles loosened up.

Using my experience in the ring, I knew that sometimes it was best to play opossum and act like you were more wounded then you actually were or concede defeat in order to lull your opponent into thinking they've won. Keeping this in mind I didn't make another attempt to attack and instead merely stayed where I was, feigning worse injury than she had caused "Jesus Christ bitch! What the hell did you just do?"

" **It's simple. I control gravity. And because of this, I can use you as my play thing. If I wanted too, I could tear you apart from the inside out, or do the exact opposite and make you implode in upon yourself. I could also merely throw you around like a ragdoll until I become bored of you."**

The more I hear this sluts soft spoken, barely audible voice, the more pissed off I get. I've lived this long in this hellhole, I'm not going to die now because of some gravity defying whore!

" **If I were you Reapie, I would give up now. Do that, and I won't kill you. The way things are, you're in a hopeless situation. I could kill you right here by increasing the gravity restrained simply to your area by a thousand times that of earth's gravity and leave you nothing but a blood stain…"**

I'm taken by surprise when, just as the announcer had said, she began to cry tears of blood

"… **but, although I can do all of that, I don't want to. Please don't make me do that. i really don't want to kill you."**

I smirk in defiance at her threats on my life and at her pitiful sob story of not wanting to kill me "Reapie? I think you're a little full of yourself to be giving me a nickname bitch! Besides this is a Slaughter Show, whether you want to kill me or not, you have no choice. Either you kill me or I kill you. It's that simple cupcake." This chick couldn't get any more annoying could she? I thought that I had seen it all in this god forsaken Asylum, but apparently not.

" **I think "Reapie's" a cute nickname. But I suppose your right. We have no choice in a Slaughter Show do we? Since that's the case, I'll at least make your death quick; it's not like your able to escape from me anyway so I won't have any trouble in doing so."**

I shrug in defiance "That might be true bitch but there's one thing that you can't stop me from doing." I couldn't wait to fillet this girl. Her smug, confident threats were just what I was hoping for.

" **Oh? And exactly what would that be?"**

My smile grows as I seize my chance "This!" before she could react a shadow blade that I had inconspicuously set up while she was spouting her bullshit lashed out across her face, effectively taking out both of her eyes and blinding her completely.

" **AAAAHHHH!"**

She backs off as she clenches her face, blood pouring down. Now THIS, is what I was hoping for. Now I could have fun with the bitch. "It's party time you skank, I hope you're prepared! Let me show you where I got MY nickname!" she gives me a guessing look as to my whereabouts due to her newly received blindness as I use my power over the shadows to become one with them.

"This is it folks! We're going to get to see just why Mercy's called the Reapers Daughter! Now that Genocide's blind what will she do to get of this?!"

I think to myself **I swear after I kill this bitch I'm going to kill that bastard announcer next!** as I appear behind her and deliver a shadow blade straight to her midsection, being careful not to cause any fatal damage. I didn't want to end the fun too quickly.

 **"AAAHHH!"**

I almost couldn't take the pleasure I was getting from hearing her screams of agony as I impale her again and again from all sides, each strike being non-lethal, but as agonizing as possible. Eventually I tired of this and decided to go for the kill as I came in from above

"This is it folks! Reapers Daughter has claimed another victim!"

However, as I was about to connect, that's when it happened…

" **GGRRRRAAAAHHHH! FUCK OFF YOU BITCH!"**

Instead of connecting I was thrown back with incredible force, my arm, and a few ribs breaking; it's instances like these where I have to thank the experiments for giving me an increased healing factor. I look up with a stunned look as a small bluish sphere of energy that was surrounding her fades away and a wave of surprise and no small amount of fear washes over me as I notice the cause of a sudden drastic turning of tables: this girl, like me, was a Blood Moon Slayer Assault Unit, and she'd just gone full blown "Kill all humans!" on my ass.

" **Why don't you say we end this Reapie?"**

I growl in annoyance "Quit calling me that! But fine, your right. Let's give our "guests" a good show." I put my hand over my tattoo and close my eyes in frustration "Fuck I hate this form…" despite how much I detested, it I activate it "Blood Moon Slayer Assault Unit: Reapers Daughter, engage!" my tattoo flashes brightly as the shadows burst forth and wrap themselves around me. My conscious, and free will, fades and I let the experimentation take over, not that I had a choice…

"Blood Moon Slayer Assault Unit: Reapers Daughter, activated. Awaiting orders."

" **Awwww…really Reapie? You lose all thought in your Slayer form? Heh talk about a failure."**

"Who could have predicted this folks! Both have entered their most powerful forms! This is almost unprecedented! This is…"

" **Oh shut the fuck up already!"** Genocide waves her hand and in the next moment the announcer explodes in a bloody shower **"Ahhh, that's much better."**

"Attention: he was an unarmed civilian. Attacks on civilians is not encouraged nor is it looked well upon."

" **I hate loud noises. He was giving me a splitting headache."**

"Error: this justification does not excuse your actions. The term "Annoying" pertains to something or someone of being unpleasant to be around or going out of ones way to try and make someone upset. This is, however, not grounds to kill the cause of annoyance."

" **Oh for the love of…! That's it! I'm putting an end to this!"** with a small pull of her arm inwards, as though pulling in something, Mercy's suddenly quickly pulled directly to her **"Just so you know, I won't need my eyes in this form. My hearing becomes incredibly good in this form I can hear a pin drop in the middle of a rock concert. With that being said, just die already!"**

Using simple physics, Genocide uses her ability of gravity manipulation, plus the speed of Mercy being pulled towards her, to increase the gravity pressing down upon Mercy by several times as she grabs Mercy by the throat and slams her straight into the concrete, caving it in at the same time. Her eye's widen in surprise when she hears Mercy's definitive seemingly uncaring voice

"Inquiry: Permission to release Killing Frenzy Protocol." from above the VIP section a voice responds to her question _"Permission to release Killing Frenzy and Death Sentence Protocols granted. Have fun Mercy." Mercy quickly responded back "Acknowledged: Releasing Killing Frenzy and Death Sentence Protocols."_

" **What the hell are those?"** Genocides question is answered when a flood of agony is suddenly thrust upon her " **GAAHHH! W-what the hell?!"**

Mercy doesn't answer but instead goes on the attack. Using Genocides stun time against her she grabs her by the throat and proceeds to return the same assault as Genocide had done to her. This time however she does it several times. After doing this four or five times she throws her into the air and wraps the shadows around her hands into a shadow claw like weapon and impales Genocide with it before manipulating a pillar made completely of shadow to bring her back to the ground. She then creates several blades around her and begins raining them down upon Genocide, each one hitting their mark, yet none being fatal.

"Request: This unit asks for your surrender. You will not be harmed any further should you comply."

" **You think…this is the end of it? You merely took me by surprise is all. What the hell…is that all about anyway? Why does everything…hurt a lot more than usual? Hell, just being around you literally hurts!"**

"Input Received: This unit has rewired your body's pain receptors in a manner that they will slowly increase the body's sensitivity to pain over time. This will gradually increase it to such a point that even a touch will be enough to cause your heart to stop from shock due to the pain it will cause."

" **What?! How the hell did you do that?!"**

"Input Received: The use of this units 'Death Sentence' Protocol targets all hostiles in the vicinity it then unleashes a specially formulated kind of radioactive wave to increase the targets receptiveness to injury. However, it not only increases the pain receptors of the target, but it also slowly kills the target by breaking their body apart at the molecular level."

" **What about the other one? That 'Killing Frenzy" one?"**

"Input Received: The use of this units 'Killing Frenzy" Protocol allows this units combat systems to be overclocked for enhanced output and performance for the duration of its effect. Levels of performance regarding speed, offensive capability, and tracking of potential targets are some examples of the areas that are enhanced with the release of this protocol."

" **Heh…you're an informative one aren't you. I certainly can tell where you got your nickname now. Not only does your one ability make you near unbeatable due to increasing your already formidable power, but your other ability also slowly kills your opponent without even touching them. Your opponent is doomed regardless of the situation."**

"Affirmative: Your statement is accurate. To continue this fight is not in your best interest. This unit again requests your surrender. You will not be harmed further should you comply"

" **Didn't I already tell you that you just took me by surprise? I haven't shown you where I got my nickname yet!"**

Genocide waves her hand and as she does Mercy's thrown away straight into the blood stained walls of the arena, leaving a large crater in the wall.

" **Now it's my turn to play with you, you bitch!"**

Using her power of gravity, Genocide begins to tear the arena apart and throwing large chunks of concrete straight at Mercy, the blood from the wounds they caused her leaving large stains on the wall with each hit.

"Warning: Systems failing. This unit cannot withstand this level of damage. Suggest retreat in order to receive repairs. Error: System Malfunction. Locomotive Functions not responding. Retreat is impossible at this time. Scanning: Targets threshold level at: -150%. Suggest immediate counter attack."

" **Minus one hundred and fifty percent? What the hell does…oh shit! Your meaning my pain level! Even if you can't move you can still use your shadow manipulation can't you?!"**

"Affirmative: This unit's shadow manipulation is independent of its primary combat functions. This allows this unit to effectively fight multiple targets at one time should the need arise."

" **Fuck you! Like hell I'm going to let you kill me like that!"**

Genocide starts to notice that she has blood stains appearing on her dress and that whenever she moves it feels like she was being stabbed. When she pulls up her sleeve she could feel a warm wetness on her arm. She instantly knew that it was the distinctive feeling of blood and it was pouring down her arm in a steady stream.

 ****Shit! So this is what she meant by my body breaking down at the molecular level and even a small touch eventually being able to kill me! I need to end this. NOW!****

Genocide looks up at Mercy

" **How about it Reapie? Let's hit each other with our best attack! We'll see who wins in the end and who's to be feared the most! Me, the one who causes mass murder for kicks, or you, the one who reaps down others and brings them to hell!"**

Mercy responds raggedly

"Affirmative: Challenge is accepted."

As the challenge is given and received a tidal wave of shadows explode from nowhere taking the nightmarish form of the reaper himself, while Genocide brings many slabs of concrete of all sizes around Mercy, completely pinning her against the wall.

" **This is it Reapie! We wanted to give these assholes a show! Let's give them one they'll never forget! On the count of three, count with me, one…"**

A faint smirk appears on Mercy's, up until now stoic, face.

"Affirmative: The next number in proper numerical sequence to one is two, after this the next numerical number is…"

"… **THREE!"** "…three."

" **SPATIAL DETONATION!"** "Final Reaping: Deaths Toll."

With the duel cry of their attacks a bright light begins to emanate from the slabs of concrete and begins to draw in other debris as the light grows to almost blinding levels, and the terrifying reaper like shadow descends upon Genocide intent on bringing her from this world and into the next.

However, just as both attacks are about to reach their crescendo, they hear a definitive cry from the VIP section.

" _STOP!"_

Both attacks stop in place, just mere moments before they both would determine the winner of this fight. As the voice cries out for their immediate seizure of attack, Genocide turns in the direction of the voice in annoyance, blood now pouring from her due to Mercy's "Death Sentence" Protocol slowly destroying her body.

" **What the hell? I thought this was a battle to the death today! Don't you need a winner?"**

The voice quickly responds in a chipper voice

" _We've seen enough. I would say you're on equal grounds. If this keeps up we won't have a winner, but instead just two dead combatants who are also very dear to us. We can't have that now can we?"_

Genocide replies sarcastically

" **Oh gee golly, I'm so thankful for your thoughtfulness over our safety."**

She lets Mercy down as she throws the blocks of concrete aside. In turn, the Shadow Reaper disappears as well and the increasing pain that she had been feeling subsided.

" _Oh come now, there's no need for sarcasm. You gave us all a very good show, I figured that you should both be allowed to continue living your lives as a reward for doing us such a gracious favor."_

" **A reward to us would be to let us out of this hellhole! The things you're doing to us is barbaric!"**

" _I'm sorry Ekaterina, but you know that's something that I can't do, as much as I would like to oblige you. So unfortunately you'll just have to keep gracing us with your company."_

" **Bastard!"**

" _Now, now; don't be so angry. As a thank you for today we will do what we can to help you with those injuries of yours; particularly your eyesight. I can't promise anything, but we'll do what we can. I will also personally oversee the procedure to see it's done properly."_

" **Why should I trust you? Nothing but pain and fear ever comes from your experiments and operations."**

" _I assure you that this time will be strictly for medical purposes. Any experimentation will be met with strict, and severe, consequences."_

"… **Fine, I'll trust you this time. But you better not backstab me."**

" _That's agreeable. I'll even give you full permission to do as you please if you suspect that we are going to."_

" **What makes you think I won't just break out after you do this patch up on me? You know I can very easily do it."**

" _Given the circumstances of our research and the dangers it poses we have set up precautions in case such an event occurs. While you may be able to kill every one of us in that particular room, once you are noticed as an escapee, the precautions have set in place will activate and, well, you'll find out when you make your attempt."_

" **I can't believe I'm trusting you on something, but fine."**

" _Excellent! We'll be sure to inform you when we're ready."_

…I slowly come back to myself as I revert back to my normal self. It feels like I was run over by a freight train, as every part of me feels like it's about to fall off. That bitch Ekaterina was no joke, guess it was my own fault for thinking that way. I should have learned by now that to underestimate your opponent was a good way to get yourself killed.

As I'm thinking about it all, I suddenly realise she's standing above me; completely blood soaked from the fight. I look up to her with a defiant grin "heh you look good in black, but I'd say red's more your color." Rather than being provoked she surprises me by simply giggling with an amused smile

" **I've been told that a time or two, but I still prefer black. It's the cleanest color after all. No need to worry about cleaning out the blood stains. If anything, red is what would most certainly be your color Mercy"**

I can't help but let out a loud laugh at this girls reply to my jab at her. I take her hand as she extends it to me and helps me up, introducing herself to me as she does

" **Let's start over, I'm Ekaterina Cacilie, or Genocide as I'm known as in the ring."**

I smirk to myself at her introduction, not many people live long enough to introduce themselves after a fight with me, but I return by introducing myself in turn "Names Mercy. I go by Reapers Daughter in this little shit show of mayhem and death. Also, sorry about taking your eyes out there." She just looks at me with an uncaring smile

" **It's alright, you have to be ready for anything in a Slaughter Show. Something like this is always a possible risk in this kind of fight. We are fighting for our lives after all."**

Listening to her casual off putting of what I did to her, I couldn't help but respect her a small amount. By looking at her, you would think she was a frail crybaby who you could crush in the palm of your hand, but she had proven that not only could she take care of herself in the ring, but also shrug off major injuries with a smile. This made it hard to tell if she was admirable, or just downright scary. Possibly even a mixture of both.

As I thought about it, I began to feel a little guilty at taking her sight away, even if it was for reasons of survival. Looking at her bloodied face I could tell that the damage I caused was extensive and that there was no way that she'd ever see again by normal methods. This caused me to ask "So, how do you plan on getting around now? Now that you're blind, it'll be a lot harder to get around." She nods at me

" **Yes it will. But I have very good hearing so I'll be able to rely on that. And the "good doctor" is willing to see what he can do for me."**

I can't help but growl in disgust and hatred at the mention of the bastard that was keeping us here "That fuckers actually going to help you? That's hard for me to believe." She nods at me

" **He's given me his word that if he tries anything funny I have free reign to do as I please with him and those involved."**

I shake my head in a mixture of distrust and disgust "Anything that bastard says is a lie! I'd kill him as soon as I got the opportunity!" Ekaterina just laughs at my objections

" **If I did that I'd never get the help I need to recover from this fight. Then what would I do?"**

Without even thinking I reply "I'll take care of you." after saying this though, I quickly shut myself up, realizing what I had said. Apparently I didn't shut up quickly enough though as she asks me

" **You'd take care of me? You'd really do that?"**

I couldn't help but think *you fucking IDIOT* to myself, but I couldn't get out of it now. Like a Slaughter Show, once you were in it, the only way out was victory or death. Likewise, either I make good on my invitation, or I'm the one who now looks like the bitch…though I guess that's not entirely untrue depending on who you talk to in this godforsaken place.

After thinking it over for a few moments I resigned myself to my invitation answered her "Ya. Having a pal in this place has its advantages after all. Instead of fixing your eyes though, it would enhance your sense of touch or hearing. From the damage I caused, it's unlikely they could save your eyes anyway. Though I guess, with what they've achieved here with us, a simple eye surgery should be child's play." She smiles gratefully to me for my invitation and concern

" **I appreciate it. I can tell that, despite your tough demeanour, you're actually a very kind person."**

I can't help but laugh out loud again "Me? Kind? Wow…you obviously don't know me very well. If I could I'd slaughter everyone in hear like the pigs they were and see how much I could make 'em squeal before they finally died. You really call that kind?" despite my attempt to defend my "tough girl" honor Ekaterina shook her head with a small smile

" **I don't blame you with these people. I'd like to do the same. But tell me, what would you do if you were freed? What would you do if you were walking down the street and you noticed a child on the side of the street with no home to go to, no parents, and simply left on the street to die?"**

I couldn't say or do anything for a moment. What she had just described was literally me before I had come here. Abandoned on the street by my parents, in front of some orphanage, not caring whether I lived or died. Eventually I worked up my nerve to speak "I guess I'd bring him to the cops or something. Don't want some brat to freeze to death because he can't take of himself." Again Ekaterina gives me a soft, this time approving, smile

" **You see? That, right there, shows you're a kind person. By taking that child to the police station, and not leaving them on the street to freeze to death, your assuring them a place to keep warm and sheltered until their parent's or some other relative comes to get them. By doing that you're showing you're capable of doing acts of kindness and you're not just a person who fights and kills with no regard for others."**

I sigh in annoyance "Whatever! Being kind and having pity are two different things." She again shoots me down with a soft smile

" **You often can't have one without the other. They go hand in hand. By having pity on that child, it led to the kindness of taking them to the police station. You see? By taking them to the police station it was both pity and kindness as two sides of the same coin."**

Again I sigh "You love your philosophical riddles don't you?" this time she laughs at my statement

" **It's not so much philosophical as a fact. As I said pity and kindness often go hand in hand. While there are exceptions to the rule, as with everything, it's very rare that you'll find something where the two are divided."**

I look at her in disbelief. This girl, who had become completely blood soaked and blinded, still seemed to have a sentimental view on things. She actually seemed to still care about those around her. It's that kind of thinking that's going to end up getting her killed one day. I keep those thoughts to myself though as I finally decide to get the hell out of this place "Come on, this little shows done for the day. Let's just get out of here, since you can't see I'll help you find your way." She shakes her head with her unwavering smile

" **You don't need to do that. I'm sure someone else will take care of me."**

I shake my head back at her in defiance and irritation "To hell with that! I'm not trusting a nice girl like you to some asshole employee, especially when I'm the one who took your sight. We may have just tried to kill each other a few minutes ago but it's not like we did it because we wanted to! Consider this a favor for what I did to your eyes; it's the least I can do after all."

For a moment she's silent, but then that apparently annoyingly innocent smile of hers lit up her blood stained face again

" **Thank you. I'm not used to being shown such a courtesy in this place. Haha, you're proving my point more and more that you're actually a really kind person underneath that tough outside exterior of yours."**

Out of annoyance, and no small amount of embarrassment, I grab her hand and lead her out "Oh shut up! I'm just doing this because if I didn't you'd likely be taken advantage of by those bastards!" it was after that statement that I actually saw her smile fade for the first time

" **Thank you for the consideration. It truly does mean a lot to hear someone say that. It's why I'm here actually. I had a traumatic experience that led me here in the hopes of being able to get help to forget it but…"**

As she spoke to me I actually begin to feel for her a bit. It's something that's a rarity for someone like me, but she was like me. She was used, abused, and now every day could be her last in this hell hole which, in all honesty, often seems like a tempting gift. To think, me and this chick might actually get along after all.

I lead her out of the arena, but as we leave we're stopped by two armed guards. I glare up at them as they block our path. These bastards really think they could take me on? Let alone the two of us? Heh I'd love to see that. I wasn't able to quite get my rocks off in the fight with Ekaterina, maybe tearing these bastards apart would be just enough of a thrill to get me off. Unfortunately, they seemed to actually use what few brain cells they had and kept their weapons holstered as they spoke to us

" _Halt! Genocide, we'll have to ask you to come with us. The preparations for your treatment are ready. Reaper, return to your Cell immediately."_

He then raises his weapon up at me and, for a moment, I'm silent but my irritation of these bastards running their mouths, my pent up "frustration", and being denied the thrill of killing anything, quickly makes me react without thinking as I quickly grabbed the one by the throat and held him effortlessly in the air using my shadow manipulation "Who are you to give me commands asshole?! I'll shove that gun so far up your ass that it'll give new meaning to the phrase "shooting shit out of your mouth"! Do you fuckers have any idea how long I've been needing to keep up all this sexual frustration pent up?! I got no damn privacy to fucking relieve myself in that fucking cell you've put me in so I have to do it in the ring! But the only thing that's able to get me off is also the one thing you've just prevented me from doing, and that's letting me kill something! Well…up until you two so graciously just volunteered yourselves by raising your weapons up at me just now" I then feel the second guard press his gun against my back

" _Stand down! You're in direct violation of the code of conduct for patients of this program!"_

I smirk in amusement at his boldness as I look over my shoulder towards him "Well, well, I gotta say, your very forward with the girls you like. Shoving your man toy against my back like that is quite the daring act of you. I'm even getting a little wet thinking about it." I was about to filet the bastard when Ekaterina placed her hand on the guards shoulder and spoke up

" **Umm…excuse me but we have somewhere to be so we can't really be held up like this…"**

I hold off my attack and drop the one guard from my grasp as the other guard turns to reply to Ekaterina

" _Your right. Please follow me."_

Ekaterina stopped the guard as he was about to show her the way and asks with an innocent smile

" **Before that,** **I would like to ask: what did you think of my match today? I know the guards don't get the best of seats, but they do get at least some view of the arena."**

The guard seemed confused at first but quickly reply's

" _I was rather impressed. I've actually always liked you the most out of all the combatants."_

I'm a little pissed off at that statement, I guess I'm not everyone's favorite after all. Despite this I keep quiet. I'm suddenly curious as to why Ekaterina is still here rather than just going for treatment.

" **Awww really?! I always thought Reapie was everyone's favorite! I can't believe I've actually got a fan! I'm so lucky!"**

Again with the 'Reapie' shit? Jesus what's with the ridiculous pet name?

" **Well, which attack did you like the most? I try to be fancy in the ring for people, though I guess that trick with that shadow reaper that Mercy pulled right before the end of our match was still pretty spectacular even against the best of my attacks."**

The guard simply shakes his head

" _I don't think so. The ability to manipulate gravity may not be as flashy as something like that, but it's something that you don't need light for in order for a shadow to be cast to be able to manipulate in the first place, so I think you still win. I'd say your Spatial Detonation was the one I liked the most…to bad I didn't get to see it actually go off. The last time I did see it, it was pretty amazing."_

Ekaterina seemed to just be stalling the guard but why I couldn't tell. She must have a reason. There's no way she would just make idol chat with a guard of this shit hole. I'm surprised when she suddenly embraced the guard with an ecstatic voice

" **I'm so happy! I was sure that Reapie would have taken any possible fans I had away from me with that fabulous display of her powers. You really are a loyal fan! I'm so happy to have a fan like you! I'm going to have to repay you for sticking with me up till now! Oh, I know! I'll show you another one of my attacks! I haven't used it before because I thought it was too dangerous but, for my loyal fan I'm willing to risk it. Maybe I'll be able to make new fans after!"**

I can't help but think to myself **what the hell is up with this girl?** she's definitely not an easy one to read that's for sure. The guard seemed intrigued and slightly excited at her offering him the chance to see her new attack in her next match

" _That sounds great! I'll be rooting for you like I usually do. What do you call this one?"_

It was at that moment that even I feel a small twinge of fear when I see Ekaterina's innocent smile curl into one of a sadistic nature as she lets the guard go and puts a single finger on his forehead

" **I call it…Spatial Devouring."**

The next second the guard lets out a blood curdling scream as his body begins to suddenly cave in on itself and implode. It then begins to contort in a horrific and brutal fashion as the bones in his body begin to break, muscle begins to tear, and organs begin to be forced out of his body. It was then I notice that not only was he being sucked into himself, but other objects were being drawn into himself as well. Ekaterina…she had just turned this guard into a living Black Hole. Using her manipulation of gravity, she had manipulated his own mass using the gravitational field it gave off and shrunk it down to a point where it could no longer sustain itself and collapsed, thus creating the black hole. Luckily it was only big enough to draw small objects such as rocks into it, kind of like a vacuum cleaner would. Still, it was rather brutal, and arousing I might add, to watch.

Ekaterina looks up at me as blood showers over the both of us, her innocent smile once again taking to her face

" **It was nice to have a fan, but I don't really like publicity. Now then, what do you say we get out of here?"**

I look at her with concern on my face "What about your eyesight? Don't you want to get it repaired?" she just shakes her head at my question **"Silly, just like you I have an increased healing factor. Though, with the extent of the damage you caused it won't be able to cure my blindness, it'll at least seem as though I was just naturally blind. I agree with you, I wouldn't trust anyone in this place. There's no way I'd trust them when they said they were just trying to help get my eyesight back."**

I shake my head in hesitation "Even if you look normal, you're still blind. How are you supposed to find your way out if you can't see?" Ekaterina just laughs at my worrying though

" **I have you. You can be my eyes. You can lead me and I'll take care of securing an escape route, a silly steel door is laughable to me. You just have to direct me. But before that…."**

She looks over my shoulder, or what she guesses is the general direction of my shoulder

" **Didn't you say you wanted to get all that sexual frustration of yours out? You said you can only do that by killing something…or someone right?"**

At first I'm confused but as I turn I see the other guard frozen in terror at our feet. A wave of anticipation, that in itself is almost enough to make me break, washes over me as the shadows burst forth and swirl around me, the fear in his eyes making the pleasure I'm feeling almost unbearable even before I've done anything.

I walk up to his trembling body and smirk seductively down at him "Oh come now, isn't a man's job to make a woman scream in ecstasy? I haven't even done anything to you yet and you're already doing a good job of it. I gotta say, I like you." I command my shadows to bind him by the arms and legs "Just seeing you tremble like this…man, I think you've made me cum already! God damn your good! Unfortunately…." My shadows then tear the guard apart limb from limb showering his blood over me as I get off a second time and my knees buckle under me from the intensity of the orgasm. Ekaterina then walks up to me, a slight irritation in her voice

" **Are you satisfied yet? We don't have a lot of time you know."**

After catching my breath for a few moments I reply to her with a content smile as I feel the warmth of the blood run down my face and arms and the warmth of my ejaculation run down my legs "Yeah…it's just that was my first orgasm…in three months. Wanna enjoy it a bit ya know?" Ekaterina sighs at me but nods

" **I suppose. But let's get to what's really important: escaping this place."**

I nod to as I pick myself up off the floor and stand next to Ekaterina "Ya, lets get the fuck out of this hell hole. Let's make our own little Slaughter Show" Ekaterina nods, the sadistic smirk coming to her face again

" **I'll go along with that idea. Let's have a fun time today Mercy. I think me and you are going to be good friends after this."**

I laugh at her assumption but roll with it "Depending how this goes we just might be. But, let's worry about friendship later, and focus on killing these bastards and escaping first." She then nods to me

" **Right!"**

I take her hand and run off with her to begin, not just our escape, but also our revenge.


	7. Riot of High Valley Asylum

Elemental Furies Ch. 6(B): The Riot of High Valley Asylum

Pyra interrupted Mercy midway through her story of how she and Ekaterina met "Wait…so let me get this straight: You and Ekaterina met during a Slaughter Show where you tried to kill each other?!" Mercy smirked in amusement "Funny isn't it? Two people who were originally out to kill each other for the sake of their own survival end up becoming friends…" her look then turned sad "…only to become enemies trying to kill each other again." Pyra smiled sympathetically "It's alright Mercy. I'm sure there's a good reason for why things turned out the way they did."

Pyras look then turned to one of disturbed skepticism "Though I have to ask, are you serious that get off on killing people, or at least did?" Mercy replied to her, a smirk coming to her face that had a mixture of seduction and malice to it "Of course I'm serious; I still do." Pyra could do nothing but stare in disbelief for a few moments at Mercy. Eventually however she managed to speak "How does something like that appeal to you?! There's no way something like that would ever do it for me. That would just make me sick!"

Like she had done before, Mercy simply shook her head in amusement "This is exactly why I keep calling you a flower. Even someone as fucked up as me, knows basic human behaviours and urges; and the need to fuck someone or something is one of the most powerful urges we got." Pyra was confused at what Mercy was getting at "So? What's that got to do with anything?" Again Mercy shook her head in amusement "Let me put it this way: if you got that little "itch" down there, and the feeling became so unbearable that you just HAD to relieve yourself, but you were in the middle of the street with a hundred people staring at you, would you just say fuck it all and start working yourself and give everyone a free show right then and there, or adapt and find some other way to get the same feeling that was more subtle and harder for people to notice?"

Pyra had become red with embarrassment with how blunt Mercy had been with her explanation, and how little it seemed to bother her with talking about it. After a little while of silence Mercy prodded Pyra for an answer "So? What would you do? Jack off in the middle of the street or find an alternate method?" eventually Pyra answered in a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment "Well obviously if I were in that position I'd grin and bear it until I got to the privacy of my own home!"

Mercy's face then turned serious "What if you couldn't? What if you were stuck somewhere that you knew would keep you postponed for several hours or even days without having any privacy?" Pyra replied with pure annoyance now "What does this have to do with anything?!" Mercy was quick to reply to her annoyed question "You asked me why I get pleasured off of hurting and killing others. Well, it's an adaptation. When you're locked in a cage with a dozen other inmates you have no privacy to do that on your own. I already went over that part actually, so I don't know why you're even asking."

Pyra looked away sheepishly, clearly uncomfortable with where the subject had gone, but she answered Mercy "I know you said that you had to find some other way to do it, but I was just wondering how that way could possibly work for someone. I mean, your killing people, bloods going everywhere, people are screaming in pain, and…" Mercy quickly stopped Pyra, a sadistic, yet also slightly jokingly-playful, look taking to her face "You might want to stop there flower or that kind of talk alone just might do it for me. Didn't know that words alone could work too…I might have to ask you for help when the next poor bastard just doesn't quite hit the mark for me." Pyra looked away in disturbance but tried to be polite to Mercy's apparent compliment "ummm…thanks. Though I'd rather not be involved with a murder if I can help it. I just can't see how that can be pleasurable for anyone even if you tell me that's how you get your rocks off..."

Mercy laughed at Pyras innocently embarrassed reactions "What's that expression you normal people always say? 'Don't knock something until you try it.'? Until you actually go out and do the things I've done, who are you to judge what's pleasurable for people and what's not? You've only ever experienced your way of dealing with those urges. You've never had to try alternative methods like I've had to."

Eventually Pyra just sighed "Whatever. Let's just get back to your story on how you and Ekaterina met. You said that you broke out after your fight, but what happened after that?" Mercy chuckled in amusement "Still interested in hearing the rest huh? Well, I hope you have a strong stomach because it just gets worse from here…"

***************************FLASHBACK**************************

I knew that our breakout was going to alert those assholes pretty fast; especially when it was me being the one who escaped. I don't know much about Ekaterina, but I know they're gonna be on me like flies on shit. I'd already tried escaping a few times but I could barely get two steps out the door before having the entire asylum on my ass.

After making our way through a few hallways I turn to Ekaterina "Hey, how you holding up? Even if you repaired the damage to your eye's I'll bet your still not feeling the hottest." She gives me a nod in response " **Your right. My eye's still burn a bit from where you damaged them, but I'm alright. Like you, this is nothing compared to what I go through most days in this place."** I nod in approval to her, not that she'd be able to see it "Good to hear. You're going to need to be in top shape when shit hits the fan."

No sooner do I say that I hear the loud speaker blare " _ **Attention all personal! We have an emergency! Repeat we have an emergency! Subjects Reaper's Daughter and Genocide have escaped and have murdered two of the staff's security members! Immediate retrieval of the subject ordered! If they resist, lethal force is authorized! The Asylum is on lockdown until the subjects are captured or put down!"**_ I grit my teeth in a mixture of annoyance and anger "Fuck those bastards work fast!" despite my frustration I hear Ekaterina speak to me in a comforting, yet confident voice **"Don't worry Reapie, do you really think they'll be able to take us both on let alone three?"**

I stop in confusion "Three? It looks like you're great at killing but not so great at math. Two comes after one not three. There's only the two of use Ekaterina….by the way can I just call you Rina? Ekaterina's too long." Ekaterina giggled slightly but nodded **"Sure. Rina's fine. But to answer your other question, I realize three comes after two and two comes after one. But I happen to know another person who would be a great help to us. She's not as old as us, but she's not to be trifled with when she gets angry. When she does, she not only scares those around her, she even scares herself."** She then laughed **"She's a bit of a crybaby actually."**

My confusion's now piqued at the description of this mystery person "If she's a crybaby, then how the hell is the bitch going to be of any use to us? I'm not going to play babysitter to a whiny brat who cries at every little thing." Rina just shook her head at me with a soft smile **"Let's just break her out and you can judge her for yourself when she does her thing."** I sigh in defeat "Fine; but if she turns out to be a liability I'm leaving her to fend for herself! I look out for myself, not others. I'm not putting myself in danger for someone who can't take care of themselves. You've already proven to me that you can handle yourself, even if you can't see, so I don't have to worry about you." With a nod Rina replies **"Alright leave her to me then. She's more comfortable being around me anyway. We'll need to get to the South-West corner in Block C, Cell 23, to find her."**

With an annoyed sigh I nod my head "Fine, but this better be worth it! That's one of the most highly guarded areas in this fucking place!" Rina just giggles at me **"Your right it is, but they normally don't have to worry about fighting against two of their most powerful and prized subjects head on now do they? We alone could probably kill almost everyone in this Asylum next to the others who've survived the BMS conversion process like we have."** At the mention of going through the process of becoming a Blood Moon Slayer Assault Unit, I gritted my teeth in anger "Don't remind me. What those bastards did to us is unforgivable and they're going to pay for it by becoming blood stains on the walls!"

I lead Rina through the winding corridors of the dark, cold, and decrepit, stone hallways of the Asylum, killing everyone in my way, until eventually we wind up at Block C. We can hear the screams of the other patients as we come to its entranceway. Some of them coming from simply broken minds, but others were like us; they wanted bloody revenge. But we aren't here for them. We're here for a specific person. We're here for Rina's friend whose abilities were so powerful that they supposedly struck fear into even herself.

As we proceed down the hall looking for Cell 23 I have to ask Rina just what it was that made this person so special that we would risk our damn lives for them "Why is this bitch so important? We could be out of here by now! Why don't we just leave them and get out while we can?! Those bastards could be here any second!" Ekaterina shoots me a dark, sightless, glare " **Don't speak that way about her! Whether she could fight or not is irrelevant! I wouldn't let you abandon her anyway. That girl is more precious to me than both of our lives combined!** " I'm taken by surprise by her feelings for this mystery girl. I didn't think anyone would have any form of loyalty in this god forsaken hellhole. Before I can counter with my own argument she continued her lecturing of me " **You…no, we, want the best chance to get out of here as possible. The more people we have the higher our odds and she would make a good addition to our team. That's why we're saving her. Now quit complaining and find her cell so we can free her!** " I was annoyed at this point by her insistence of saving this mystery girl but it was obvious I had no choice but to save her, whether I wanted to or not.

Eventually we find Cell 23 and I got a small shiver of excitement as I wait to see just what was so special about this supposed super girl who could help us annihilate these bastards. I look over to Rina to inform her "Alright, I've found it. We're at Cell 23. Time to show me why you're so insistent on saving this broad…" again I get a dark and sightless glare from Rina " **I told you not to speak that way about her! Don't forget that I don't need my sight to turn your very blood cells into trillions of miniature black holes!** " a slight amount of fear runs through me as she threatened me with this. Normally I would take it as someone talking shit out their mouth, but as I remembered what she did to the guard after our breakout, I knew she could walk just as well as she could talk; with or without her sight.

With a nervous laugh I apologize "Heh, sorry. I just really want to get out of here. We're so close to finally being free and I don't want to get fucked over because of a bad gamble." Rina's cold glare turned into a soft smile " **Don't worry, she can handle herself. With the three of us they'll have to throw every ounce of fire power at us. If they don't, it'll be a very bad day for them.** " I grin in anticipation for the slaughter "I almost hope they do. I'm feeling very aroused today. It's going to take a lot to shake that feeling." Rina giggled " **You truly do like to kill don't you?** " I smirk "Everyone's gotta have a hobby right?" Rina nods, the soft smile still on her face " **That's right.** "

Rina then holds out her hand and with a quick flick of her wrist the heavy reinforced steel door is torn out of the walls as easily as though it were a candy wrapper being taken off a piece of chocolate, leaving a large cloud of dust and debris clouding our vision for several moments. I look in awe at Rina "How the hell are you still here if you did that so easily?! You could escape any time you wanted to!" Rina shakes her head at me " **Unfortunately at the end of my matches I'm forced to wear special cuffs that nullify my power so I become no stronger than a normal person as long as they're attached."** I cursed to myself "Bastards!" As the dust cleared Ekaterina used her hands to navigate her way into the cell " **Koko? It's me, Ekaterina! I can't see you due to a little accident that happened today in my match, so you're going to have to come to me yourself."**

I follow Rina into the cell, and as she calls out the name of the one we were here to rescue, I nearly fall over when it isn't some badass girl like myself or Rina, but instead some little kid no older than four years old dressed in a little pink dress, chestnut brown hair tied into a ponytail with a large yellow ribbon ending at the middle of her back, and green eyes. As I look closer, I notice that she has the marking of the mythical Cerberus on her cheek, much like my black dragon tattoo, a clear sign that she had been experimented on.

As the kid that Rina referred to as "Koko" runs up to her and embraces her, I notice that she has a large slash mark across her throat that had now healed into a large scar. Upon noticing this I ask Rina about it "What's with the mark? Is that due to the experimentation?" Ekaterina shakes her head at me " **No. she was kidnapped and brought here. To prevent suspicion and to stop her from crying out the ones who brought her here carefully cut her throat in a way that it would cut the vocal chords, but would leave everything vital intact.** " The thought of myself going through this shit was enough of a piss-off, but to see this done to a kid of this age was a whole new level of fucked up.

I keep this to myself though as I walk up to her and try to greet her as casually and nicely as possibly "Hey Koko we're here to get you out of here. Wanna have a little fun with us?" Despite my efforts at being nice I notice a look of fear in the kid's eyes as she clings herself closer to Rina. I turn to Rina for an explanation "Why is she afraid of me?" Rina holds Koko closely before answering me " **I'm sorry. I should have told you. Her name is Shizuko Senya or Koko as I call her. She's very shy and I'm the only one she feels comfortable with.** " I look at her in confusion "what makes you so damn special?" Rina answers me matter-of-factly " **For a while me and her shared the same cell. I taught her everything a child her age showed know. Things like reading, writing, simple arithmetic, spelling; things like that. I also protected her from the other inmates. You could say I'm her mother-figure within this place since she no longer has one now that she's here."**

Rina's explanation makes sense. If she and Shizuko had shared the same cell and had acted as a role model to her it would only make sense that the kid would warm up to her. Still, I still see nothing special about why this kid is so special aside from a feeling of mutual affection between the two of them. If this kid was so great of an asset to our team then she did a damn good job of hiding it.

Rina suddenly speaks to me amidst her greetings of her adopted "daughter" " **You said you wanted to see just what was so special about Koko right? Although I may not be physically able to see it, I can still tell you're skeptical, especially now that you know she's just a child."** I let out a sarcastic chuckle "heh, was I that obvious? How can a kid, especially a brat her age, be of any use to us?" as I say this I notice a hurt expression come to Shizuko's face, not that I really care considering if we stay here much longer we're going to be found and we're not going to get our freedom anyway. Rina giggled in response to me, almost as though she had waited in anticipation for me to say that " **Why don't we have a quick demonstration then? It should be enough to convince you if you see for yourself."** I can't help but think to myself **I can't wait to see this** as I give her my approval "Alright, we need to make sure each of us can do some damage to these assholes after all."

Rina kneels down in front of Shizuko with a loving smile " **Alright Koko, our friend Mercy wants to see just how much of a talented little girl you are and that just cause your young doesn't mean you're not strong. I've been telling her just how proud I am of you and she's excited to see what you can do. So can you give her a quick demonstration? Since I can't see you because of my accident, I have to ask you to tap my hand if yes or rub it if no.** " Shizuko quickly taps Rina's hand then turns to me with an innocent smile, absolutely no fear on her face. I gotta say, despite her age I already respect this little brat.

After a brief standoff I break the silence "You don't have to worry kid I won't go 100%. We're not enemies and I don't want to ruin that cute face of yours" I'm taken completely by surprise however when she just shakes her head at me and then waves her hand at me in a taunting "come at me" fashion. Really? A kid that's a quarter my size is really taunting me to attack with absolutely no fear? I'm more curious than ever now to see just what this kid's capable of now. A smile of excitement crosses my face as I accept her invitation "Alright. But just remember kid, you were the one who asked for it!"

With blinding speed I rush the kid down, my shadows trailing just behind me. As I get closer I command my shadows to spread out in a manner that would surround Shizuko and make it impossible to escape while I prepare to attack physically. However as I draw closer I notice that Shizuko isn't even attempting to evade or attack. Before I can figure out why my arm is grabbed by Shizuko and I feel a hard knee to my stomach knocking the wind out of me. Before I can even make sense of what's just happened I feel a twist in my wrist and I find myself flung hard onto my back, effectively nullifying my own attack in the process due to my losing control from the impact.

As I try to gather my bearings I feel myself lifted back up before receiving a powerful kick to the side of the ribs combo'd into turn-around side kick straight into my chest. Before I could even recover from that I manage to look up just in time to see her jump off her front foot and deliver a butterfly kick straight to the side of my face, again knocking me to the ground. I instantly knew that style of fighting…it was Tae Kwon Do. The other one she had used, given the way she had effortlessly threw me and locked my wrist, was likely either Brazilian Jujitsu or Judo.

Despite being knocked to the ground a second time, Shizuko still isn't done with me. Just as I begin to get back up she crouches low to the ground and does a twirling kind of kick that combos into a variety of other punches and kicks. The way she moves almost seems like a dance. Could this be…Capoeira?! Before I can even get a bearing on this she stops and goes into a posture with one leg held up while she balances on the other and holds her hands out in a form similar to a bird and launches a powerful snap kick straight to my jaw, once again putting me to the floor. Are you fucking serious?! Crane Style Kung Fu?!

As I hit the floor it would seem that she's finally had enough of beating the shit out of me as she looks at me innocently as though we best friends…best friends my ass! I completely understand now. I now know why Rina was so insistent we rescue her. This brat was designed to be unbeatable in a physical confrontation. They had made it so that she had mastered the various martial arts of the world and had obviously they had enhanced her strength as well. It wouldn't matter how old she was or what her size was. This kind of combination made this brats small size and age completely irrelevant now. Because of the beat down she had just given me, I couldn't even control my shadow manipulation and so she had completely nullified it before my attack could even connect. That could prove useful later on.

I give Shizuko an impressed smirk "Not bad kid. I definitely didn't expect that from someone your age. Guess you sure showed me not to talk smack about you huh?" I receive a wide and happy smile from Shizuko in return as she nods her head to me in appreciation of the compliment and then runs up to me holding her hand out to help me up, which I promptly take. I look over to Rina and speak to her to let her know the fight is over "your "daughter's" not bad Rina. I can see why you wanted to take her with us now. Having an unbeatable martial artist will be handy if the conflict gets to touchy-feely." I receive a small smile in return " **Indeed she is, but as I told you before, Koko is very shy. She doesn't like strangers, and she likes fighting even less. While she and I both know she can easily defeat most anyone, she would rather not have to get into an altercation in the first place. She's a very peaceful girl and is intimidated easily despite what she's capable of."** Rina then giggled lightly " **That's why I said she's a bit of a cry baby. If she's in a situation she doesn't like she often gets scared and wants me to protect her despite being quite capable of doing it herself."**

At hearing this I can't help but feel uneasy "Well if she gets intimidated easy, then how will she not be a liability to us then? We can't always be looking around trying to protect her! She's going to have to fend for herself while we attempt this little break out of ours." Ekaterina nods in response to my voice " **Your right. However, Koko's only shown you a fraction of what she's capable of. Remember, we don't have a lot of time to stand around getting to know each other right now. We can do that after we get out of here."** She then speaks to Shizuko " **Listen Koko, Mercy and I are going to try and leave this place and we'd like to bring you along. However, you're going to have to be a brave little girl and look out for yourself. We'll do what we can to help you, but we can't always be there to protect you; understand? This is going to be hard for us to do so we'll need your help as much as possible. Don't be afraid to fight those who wish to hurt you. You're going to have to be a big girl today and show us how much you've grown up ok?"** Rina then held out her hand " **Tap my hand for yes or rub it for no."** Shizuko quickly taps Rina's hand before taking it as Rina stands up with a caring smile " **Good girl.** " She then speaks to me " **Now then…shall we be going? To make our job easier I suggest releasing the other patients. We don't need to bring them with us, but with them all being released, it will cause chaos within the Asylum and it will be hard for them to concentrate solely on us; thereby making it easier for us to escape. "**

As Rina offers up her suggestion I can't help but be impressed. I would have just said fuck the others and made my way out of this shit box. But what she just said makes perfect sense. With just one person on the loose it's incredibly easy to round them back up, but when you have a hundred, all of which have been turned into Blood Moon Slayer's, good luck stopping that and concentrating on a single person at the same time. I clench my fists in anticipation "Sounds like a plan Rina. Let's paint this place a new color! I'm thinking a nice crimson red. How about you?" Rina giggles lightly at me before suddenly transforming into her Blood Moon Reaper mode and replying sadistically " **Yes. I think that color would look very nice."** A wide grin of malicious pleasure takes to my face as I prepare for this bloody party that we're about to start "Alright then…let's get psycho!"

The three of us run out of Shizuko's cell and as we run by each of the cells both Rina and I use our abilities to destroy the other inmates' cell doors. As we do I turn to them and shout "Merry fucking Christmas bitches! We're getting out of here! I'm sure many of you want to get pay back at these bastards for what they've done! Well, now's your chance! They're always looking for a good Slaughter Show, well let's given 'em one they'll never forget!" I hear the crazed shouts of support from the other inmates as they all rush out of their cells and join us in our little coup d'état.

Out first destination was Block C Hall 12, the intersection between Block B and Block D. as we arrived I turn to our small army "Alright bitches! We're releasing as many of you as we can to create as much hell for these pricks as we can. So I'm going to need half of you to go to Block D and the rest to follow Shizuko, Rina, and myself to Block B. release as many prisoners as you can then meet us up in Block A…oh, and kill anyone who gets in your way. We want to have fun after all!" I get a roar of support as half of our group proceeds to Block D and the rest of head to Block B.

Halfway to Block B one of our group is suddenly riddled with gunfire and nearly shredded to pieces by the time he falls to the ground as a bloody heap while he rounds a corner, making us instantly stop. Taking a small look around the corner I notice a group of guards with a blockade built of barbed wire, sandbags, and concrete. Each of them is armed with a high powered assault rifle and in the middle another guard sports a high powered mounted turret. I can't help wondering where they got this crap, but it's not important right now; escape is what's important. If we charged in now they would immediately open fire and that would be problematic in the very least.

I look at Rina and ask with concern "How should we handle this? With fire power like that, even if we unleash on them they'll be able to take down at least a few of us before we can take them out." I'm taken by surprise when Rina simply smiles casually " **Don't worry about it. They're already dead and just don't know it yet. We just have to wait here for a few moments."** as she speaks to me I notice Shizuko's gone "Hey Rina! Shizuko's…" Rina instantly cuts me off " **Shhh! I know. Just watch."** I raise an eyebrow in confusion "What do you mean? What's there to watch?"

As I turn back I'm surprised to see Shizuko behind the guards, none of them the wiser "How the fuck…" the next instant my amazement grew even more as she just casually walked up behind the guard and took a combat knife that he had strapped to his utility belt. None of the guards moved even looked in Shizuko's direction "How…How the fuck don't the guards notice her? She's RIGHT there!" a low unnerving chuckle comes from Rina " **Do you remember your fight with Koko?"** I turn to Rina and quickly respond "Of course I do! It's kind of hard to forget that kind of beat down especially when it's a little kid who did it to you!" a sly smile then came to Rina's face " **Do you recall her ever making a single sound in any of her movements? Aside from when her blows made contact with your body. Even when she's been walking or running have you ever noticed any sound coming from her, even though she's been right beside you this entire time?** " as I think for a moment it suddenly hits me like a train "You've gotta be shitting me! They've not only given her the ability to use any martial art she wants, but also the ability to be in a permanent state of perfect silence?!" again that low, unnerving chuckle escaped Rina " **Not only that, but she can also use anything as a weapon better than anyone who's ever lived. It doesn't matter if it's professionally made, or an improvised weapon. If it can be used, she can find a way to kill you with it…all the while being silent about it. She could kill an entire battalion of elite soldiers with a single paperclip given the proper circumstances."** I shake my head in disbelief "You've gotta be fucking with me! There's just no way a kid could do that!" the unnerving smile doesn't waver from Rina's face " **I assure you its all true. As you know we all get code names. Your Code Name is 'Reapers Daughter' while mine is 'Genocide'. Due to Koko's unmatchable prowess in silent killing and hand-to-hand combat, she's been given the Code Name 'Assassin'. Despite her young age, they decided to modify her physical prowess to super human levels. everything from strength to her awareness in a fight. she can see what your going to do 20 steps before you do and plan around it. this would take her opponents completely off guard since they wouldn't expect it from someone her age or her size."** Rina then does an upward nod, directing me to watch Shizuko and what's about to happen " **If you don't believe me, why don't you see for yourself. If she was only good in martial arts…I would have left her here. As much as I love Koko, Martial arts skills alone wouldn't be enough. So just sit back and enjoy the event that's about to unfold and what makes Koko so special."**

As turn my head back to Shizuko I notice tears starting to fall down her face and she begins to cry "Why…is she crying?" I'm answered by Rina in a chilling tone that scares even me " **There we go…show us what you got Koko. She only cries when she's about to kill someone. If she's scared she just uses her ability of silence to escape the source of her fear."** Shizuko then crouch's low to the ground and creeps up on the soldier closest to the back. She then grabs him by the mouth to prevent him from calling out and using the knife she stole, she thrusts the knife with surgical-like precision straight into the back his head between the soft spot connecting the skull and the spine, thereby bypassing the protection of the skull, and straight into the brain, killing him instantly. She then takes the soldiers gun and shoots the second soldier straight in the side of the temple, completely destroying what was once the soldiers head and thus alerting the other guards.

When I notice the guards become alerted I can't help but think aloud "She's just gotten herself killed! Why the fuck would she give her presence away like that?!" again I'm answered by Rina, who seems completely unconcerned " **You did say you wanted her to show how 'bad ass' she was."** she then giggles happily to herself **"hehehe little rascal."** I look back, and as the guards turn to open fire, Shizuko uses the one guard's corpse as a shield while unleashing her own barrage taking down two of the guards while throwing her knife at a third hitting him directly in the throat and thus killing him as well, as he slowly begins to drown in his own blood.

She then relies on her martial arts skills as two more guards close in on her. As one grabs her from behind, she moves in a way to position herself in a manner to launch him over her shoulder. As he falls over her shoulder, she lunges her shoulder forward slamming him hard against the wall, crushing his skull cavity.

I can't believe what I'm seeing. A small four year old girl is brutally killing an entire squad of trained, armed, guards and isn't even breaking a sweat! Almost as though she were reading my mind, Rina speaks to me " **Impressive isn't she? To be able to be so lethal and yet so innocent at the same time. In a way, she's far more dangerous than either you or me."** I can't help but laugh slightly "Heh, ya. Despite the proof being right in front of me I still can hardly believe it. i'm actually a little frightened."

The second guard rushes up to her in an attempt to attack her with his combat knife, however with her quick reflexes she catches his knife before putting him into an arm lock and kicking his leg out bringing him to the ground. As he hits the floor she uses her other foot to hook around his neck then with a quick twist of her hips she instantly breaks it.

This now leaves just Shizuko and the Turret operator. The guard quickly grabs for his sidearm, but before he can take aim, Shizuko quickly grabs his arms and pulls him forward and delivering a hard elbow straight to his face, breaking his nose. After a cry of pain the guard grabbed his combat knife and prepares to rush Shizuko again. Shizuko then grabs the knife she had originally thrown away to take down the third guard that had tried to attack her and, like she had done to me, tauntingly waved her hand in the "come and get me" fashion at the guard, tears falling from her face the entire time.

The guard then rushes Shizuko with his knife and instantly Shizuko parries expertly and counter attacks with her own, which is blocked by the guard, much to my surprise. "He countered her?!" Rina laughs " **Oh you little devil Koko. I told you it's not nice to be mean to other people."** I can't believe how relaxed Rina is, it's like she doesn't care about Shizuko's safety at all "How can you be so indifferent?! Shizuko could be killed and your standing here laughing about it?!" Rina just turns to me with an amused smirk " **You don't know Koko like I do."** in confusion I ask "What do you mean?" Rina answers me matter-of-factly " **If you land a hit on her or manage to counter one of her attacks, it's because she's letting you. Either that, or she's not trying her hardest. If he's just countered one of her attacks, after she's just killed his entire squad, it's not because he's good…it's because she's toying with him and having fun with him."** Again I ask in confusion "But you said she didn't like fighting and went out of her way to avoid it. Why would she toy with someone?" Rina sighed in annoyance this time " **You ask a lot of questions don't you? Koko doesn't like fighting because the more she does, the more bloodthirsty she becomes; and she doesn't like it. It scares her."** I can't help but feel disturbed "That's fucked up. Poor kid." i then ask in curiosity "What about her B.M.S form?" Rina is silent for a moment before answering be in a quiet, but serious voice "Pray to whatever being you believe in that you don't have to see that..."

Despite my curiosity of what Rina meant by that, as well as being slightly unnerved, my quickly attention goes back to the fight and I notice that both of them are still relying on their knife-play. Both Shizuko and the guard are countering each other blow for blow, neither making progress; though if what Rina says is true, Shizuko could end this whenever she wanted. The guard makes a sweeping motion which Shizuko easily dodges and counters with an upwards swing, which the guard avoids by quickly stepping back. They continue this pattern of slashes and stabs for several minutes until eventually they both stop in a stare down.

After several tense moments, they both rush each other once more the guard coming in with a downward stab. Shizuko however counters with a small step to the side as she also delivers an upward slash to the guard's wrist cutting deeply into the major vein running through it; making him drop his knife in pain and shock. Before he can recover from this, Shizuko then comes back with another side slash to his neck and severs both his jugular vein and carotid artery. As the guard falls back, bleeding out at an alarming rate, Shizuko shows almost a taunting level of skill as she throws her knife into the air and spins into a tornado kick, kicking the knife at the perfect angle as it comes down and launches it straight into the man's chest cavity and piercing his heart. In a final show of humiliation, she takes his sidearm pistol, gives him a chillingly sweet, yet tearful smile, and shoots him square between the eyes, just seconds before he would have died from blood loss.

As the bloody fight comes to an end I find myself shaking in a mixture of excitement, amazement, and even a small amount of fear of this small girl. This girl was so young, and yet she could take an entire army on by herself and come out unscathed. Even I couldn't do that. I guess even the cutest ones can be the scariest ones.

Shizuko comes running up to us with a smile on her face, one that clearly showed she was proud of herself and she was looking for recognition for her victory over the blockade hindering our progress. I can't help but smile back at her; even a bitch like me still has a soft spot for kids. I give her a small rub on the head as a reward for her hard work "Good Job Shizuko. That was a pretty bad ass display you just put on. You're making me look like an idiot more and more for looking down on you earlier with those kind of moves." Shizuko smiles happily up at me as she rushes on over to Rina who quickly takes her hand " **Good job Koko. I heard from Mercy you were really impressive out there. I'm glad. But we have to get moving now, time isn't on our side unfortunately."**

Unfortunately I have to agree so I wave to everybody "Alright everyone, lets head out! They've obviously set up blockades now so be on your guard unless you want to be like this poor bastard here…" I point to where our fallen comrade lay "…if any of you want to make it out of here, you're going to have to be on your guard while also killing as many of these mother fuckers as possible. They aren't going to play around with us, so you shouldn't play around with them. Keep your eyes and ears open, and your blood lust high. Do that, and we'll get out of here!" I hear a cheer from our remaining party members as I turn to Rina "Let's go." Rina nods her head " **Agreed. We can't just wait here. Koko's cleared our path, we need to get through while we can."**

We head further down until we finally reach Block B I stop everyone to make sure the coast is clear. As I peak around the corner I realize just how much of a smart move that was. The damn hall was riddled with the same bunkers as the one that Shizuko had taken out earlier. There was no way we'd be able to make a break for it and get out alive unscathed. I turn to Rina and notify her "We got a problem Rina, the halls infested with this places fucking rats. There's no way we'd be able to get through without getting mowed down." Rina just smirked " **Is that right…I guess I need to take care of this one. You can have the next one Reapie."** As she walks out into the hallway I try to stop her "Rina wait! You can't seriously believe you can…"

My pleas were cut short as an explosion of gunfire pierced the previously quiet halls. As I cover my eyes and take shelter to avoid being hit by a stray bullet I can't help but think **Rina you fucking IDIOT! Why'd you just go and get yourself killed?! We were going to escape together!" however, as I look up, I'm startled to see that Rina is standing in the hallway, completely unfazed, and looking completely bored, by the gunfire. In fact as I look even closer, the bullets aren't even reaching her. They're instead stopping short of her and being stopped in mid-air just before their impact zone and dropping harmlessly to the ground. It was then that I realize she's using her gravity manipulation to apply an equal amount of force against the bullets to stop them mid-flight.

After a short while the machine gun fire stopped and many of the guards had surprised looks on their faces as Rina stood completely unfazed in front of them. To be honest, it was slightly unnerving to me too. It's not every day you see someone take a hail of gunfire and just brush it off like it was an annoying fly buzzing around your head. What unnerves me the most is when a sadistic smile appears on her face " **Gravity Manipulation:** **Zero Gravity…** " she then raises her arms and the hundreds of rounds that had been unloaded on her begin to rise off the ground. As each bullet rises they turn to face their former masters, looks of fear starting to appear on their faces; and quite the turn on I might add.

Rina then places one hand behind her and leaves on hand in front of her in the form of a point of direction. With her back hand she calls out " **Left Hand Gravity Manipulation: x800 Gravity"** she then calls out for her forward hand " **Right Hand Gravity Manipulation: x1000 Gravity"** she then looks at me, the look of death on her face " **You might want to take cover…** " just as she spoke I notice that the walls around her began exploding into pieces and the place she was standing caved in, leaving her hovering in a small crater. I then notice that the bullets begin to glow and I know exactly what's going to happen next as I turn to everyone, grab Shizuko, and take to the floor "EVERYBODY GET TO THE FUCKING GROUND!"

The very instant I touch the ground I hear a massive explosion, like that of a railgun going off, accompanied by that of screams, explosions, collapsing concrete, and Rina's chilling laughter. As I look up I notice that Rina's been pushed back several feet from her firing point. I also notice that her left hand is still placed behind her even though she had now lowered her right hand. I reason to myself that the reason she had manipulated the gravity into two different ratios of power, was because her right hand was meant to be the attack, and her left was meant to act as a stabilizer.

I'm frozen in place as I turn my head and see several of our members who didn't make it to the ground in time, or who just couldn't find adequate shelter, torn to pieces, ripped in half, crushed into bloody unrecognizable lumps of flesh, or vivisected, among many other things. At least half of our party was just killed from Rina's attack just now. Although I'm horrified by this I can't help but feeling incredibly aroused by this too. This was the kind of shit that got my rocks off. To me, there was no greater rush, and no better way to get myself off then this. Looking at her INTENDED targets, I notice that they're in no better shape. Torn to pieces, crushed, turned into mulch etc. however, among all the dead there was one survivor….who, unfortunately for the poor bastard, Rina happened to notice.

As Rina approached him she used her gravity manipulation to lift him into the air and suspend him in front of her, a look of fear on his face as he futilely struggles against her. She then casually speaks " **Gravity Manipulation: x13 Gravity"** she then swings her arm to the side and the guard follows in the same direction as her arm, screaming in agony as she does. She does this several times until blood begins to trickle down from the guard's mouth and nose. A sick look of satisfaction comes to her face that disturbs even my fucked up self " **How does it feel my loyal little soldier? How does it feel to go through the same pain that you and your colleagues have put us through? Don't worry though, it takes around x14 Gravity of swinging you around like a ragdoll to start doing true traumatic damage. I'm only putting you through x13. But how about we switch things up? Gravity Manipulation: x6 Gravity!"** Rina then swings her hand down, the guard following with it, slamming him hard to the ground as she walks up to him she speaks to him in an impressed tone " **Oh? You're still awake?! I respect that. Between x4 and x8 Gravity is where the average person should be knocked unconscious. The fact that you're still awake is very impressive. However…"** the chilling smirk comes back to her face as she lifts him back into the air "... **I'm tired of you. I think it's time I kill you."** By this point I'm barely keeping myself together as I watch Rina torture this poor bastard.

Shizuko walks up to me, a few cuts and scrapes here and there line her small frame but otherwise no worse for wear, and sits next to me. I look up to her with a small smile "What's up kiddo? Enjoying the show?" I quickly get vigorous negative headshake from Shizuko. I can't help but chuckle to myself at the poor girl's innocence "I was like you once. Afraid, weak-willed, pitiful. But if there's one thing this fucking place has done for me, it's that it's made me stronger." I look away and up to Rina as I hear a cry of agony and notice, just in time, Rina rip the guards right arm off with her manipulation ability and toss it casually to the side. In an effort to keep myself under control I bite my lip and tightly clench my fists. The last thing I want to do is get off in front of a little kid, but Rina is making it fucking hard on me.

I feel a small shake on my shoulder look back to Shizuko who has a look of concern on her tiny face. I again try to look convincing and caring "What's wrong? You worried about something?" I get a quick nod from her and she points to my clenched fists and I quickly understand what she means "Oh…that?" again she nods at me "I'm fine I'm just…fighting back some complex feelings and emotions right now that wouldn't be appropriate to discuss with a kid your age. I'll be fine though." I get an odd look of confusion from Shizuko but she quickly relents any further prodding as we both look back up to see Rina tear the guard's left leg off, making him cry out again in a beautiful wail of agony. The more I both watch and listen to Rina's mutilation of this poor bastard the harder and harder it is to keep my composure in front of Shizuko, but I'm trying my damn hardest.

I look over to Shizuko who was shaking and covering her eyes like she was afraid. I gently shake her shoulder "Hey kiddo, what's wrong? Don't tell me one little death of a guards getting to you…" Shizuko looks at me and sheepishly nods. I can't understand how this girl, who just mercilessly brutalised a barricade manned by eight highly trained guards by herself without batting an eye is now upset over the seeing the death of just this one. I think for a moment and then it hits me like a freight train as I remember what Rina told me earlier **" _ **Koko doesn't like fighting because the more she does, the more bloodthirsty she becomes; and she doesn't like it. It scares her."****_. After I realize this I speak to her with understanding, but also seriousness in my voice "Listen Shizuko, I know you don't like fighting, none of us do…" although I tell her that nobody here likes fighting, I knew this was a bullshit lie as I myself love to fight and kill anyone I was pitted against, but I knew I couldn't tell her that "…That's exactly why we're getting out of here. We're breaking out so none of us have to fight or kill again. But until we manage to break free, you're going to show us just how much of a badass little girl you are, just like you did before with those other guards back there. The more you fight, the easier it'll be to get past the guards, and the easier it is getting past them means the faster that we can stop fighting. Understand?" After a short pause I get a sheepish nod from Shizuko and I rub her head in reward for her understanding and acceptance of the situation "Good girl. You're already making us all proud. We can't give up when we've already lost a lot of our team…" I look at the numerous dead around us "…though Rina is partially to blame for that"

I turn my attention back to Rina as she finally speaks to the guard that she had made her personal toy " **I'm amazed you're still conscious! After all the punishment you've been through, surviving been thrown around in x14 Gravity, then thrown down in x6 Gravity, you even survived a blast that had the power of x1000 Gravity! However, let's see if you have the ability to survive a Black Hole…"** with a small tap on the opponent's chest Rina casually spoke " **Gravity Manipulation: Spatial Devouring."** She then throws him to the ground and as he hits the destroyed concrete he once again cries out in absolute agony as Rina's technique takes effect and begins to make him implode in on himself, showering blood and viscera everywhere, and turn him into his own personal black hole. He begins drawing everything in the area close to him into himself and this served to only heighten his torture and agonized wails.

It's at this point that I can no longer hold myself back and I feel the rush of pleasure hit me like a tidal wave, making me cry out, and take my breath away. I sink to my knees as once again I feel the warmth of my orgasm run down my legs. I curse to myself for not being able to restrain myself, especially in front of a kid, but seeing something like what Rina had just done wasn't something you got to see every day, let alone twice in the same day.

I'm startled when I'm tapped on the shoulder and I notice Shizuko looking at me with a confused expression. I try to respond to her casually while trying to get my breath back "What's up…kiddo?" she then points down to my obviously wet legs and I can't help but think **Fuck…she noticed** but there was nothing I could do hide it now so I responded as best I could "Ya…I had a bit of an…accident. Remember when I said I was fighting…some complex feelings and emotions?" I receive a prompt nod from Shizuko "Well…this…is the result of that. Let's just say…Rina's last attack was a little…too much for me to take."

The moment I finish talking about Rina, I hear her speak up " **Seriously Reapie?! In front of Koko?! You seriously got off in front of a child?! What the hell's wrong with you?!** " I guess she overheard what me and Shizuko were discussing and knew what I had meant when I had said her last attack was 'too much for me to take'. I try to justify myself "I already told you didn't I? It's been three months, I've been denied my only way that would allow me to relieve myself, and that blood bath you caused made impossible to hold back any longer, despite my best efforts." Rina quickly counters my argument " **You already relieved yourself with that one guard! Shouldn't that be enough?!"** I laugh "One chance to get my rocks off in three months ain't gonna cut it Rina. I'll probably need to have a few more in order to be satisfied by the end of this in order to make up for all the lost chances." Rina shakes her head in exasperation as she calls Shizuko over and takes her hand " **You're unbelievable! Whatever, just try to be more subtle around Koko next time. She doesn't need to see stuff like that.** " I can't bring myself to say anything in protest. Rina's right, a girl Koko's age didn't even need to hear about stuff like that, let alone actually see it. So instead of trying to defend myself I merely agree "Ya, your right. I'll try to catch myself next time."

I get myself off the cold concrete floor and look over at the dead "Was that attack really necessary? You killed half our people…" Rina shrugs " **If I didn't end it right away we would be held back longer than needed. It's unfortunate they didn't survive, but we knew from the get-go that there would be casualties and not everyone would make it out of here. In fact, the possibility that none of us make it out is very real."** I laugh sarcastically "Well, aren't we just a big fucking ball of optimistic sunshine…" Rina shakes her head " **I'm being a realist. To be blunt, it's just as probable that we all die here as it is that we escape."** I start to leave, having had enough of Rina's 'doom and gloom' attitude "Well, it's guaranteed that we'll all die here if we keep sitting here talking about it." I receive a nod from Rina " **I suppose that's true. Alright then, let's keep moving."**

We cautiously make our way until through the halls until we're halfway to Block A when we once again run into a road block. I can't help but curse "Looks like the fuckers have set up blockades at every checkpoint of the Blocks in order to box us in from all sides…at least these bastards are smart in terms of strategy." Rina looks at me with a small smile "But stupid in terms of trying to survive?" I laugh at her little joke "VERY stupid." I then put my hand up to signal everyone to stay where they were "I guess I'll take this one. You two have already took out the first two, it's time for me to stop sitting on my ass and actually pitch in and help." Rina nods to me in response "Have fun." As I take my step out into the lion's den I chuckle in excitement "I intend to…"

Immediately I'm greeted by gunfire, and using my shadow manipulation to deflect the bullets in a harmless fashion I can't help but taunt the guards as they try in vain to harm me "Oh come on! I haven't even done anything to you yet, and you're already blowing your load off on me?! Don't you know that if you get off before the girl does, you're not the one who's fucked her, but instead she's the one who's fucked you?!" out of the corner of me I hear Rina sigh in annoyance "Really Reapie? Does EVERYTHING you say have to be a sexual reference? You do realise Koko is here right? She doesn't need to hear stuff like that!" I simply laugh at Rina's exasperation of my sense of humour "When it comes to killing, it sure as hell does! Haven't you learned yet? According to those fucking doctors I've been labeled as a Sadist and as a Lust Killer! I don't use my damn fingers, I use some poor bastard's blood on the wall!" again I get an irritated response from Ekaterina "Whatever Reapie. Just try to refrain from talking like that around Koko and hurry up with killing these guards." I simply laugh "You don't need to tell me that, but thanks for the permission!"

After the gunfire stops for a moment to allow the guards to reload, I take my opportunity to counter attack "Alright assholes, it's time for the Reaper's Daughter to take you all to daddy!" before they can finish reloading I swing my right arm down and unleash a wave of darkness upon them cleaving two of them completely in half. As another stumbles back a grab him by the face and ram his skull into hard stone wall instantly killing him. I turn just in time to see one of the guards come at me with his combat knife and try to stab me but, unlike him who has no experience with true life or death situations, I easily evade. As he's recovering from his attack I wrap my shadows around my fists to increase my physical power and unleash a punch with as much strength as I can muster straight into his chest, completely penetrating right through it and exiting out the other end of him. I decide to go a step further by grabbing his spinal column and ripping my hand back out, snapping his spine completely in half and ripping it completely out from the top-half downward.

Before I turn to face my next victim I hear a shot ring out and feel a sting in my shoulder and realize I've been shot. In anger I look at the bastard who just shot me and as I do the prick instantly looks like he shit himself, now knowing that he just officially threw away whatever meager chance he had of me possibly letting him live.

I walk up to him and using my shadow manipulation I grab his gun and rip it from him and break it in half. He falls to the ground in terror as I continue to approach him, while I enjoy every second of it. As I reach him I stand over him for a few moments, enjoying to the fullest his terrified expression "So…you enjoy hurting women huh?" he manages a meager response "N-no…but my…my orders…are to keep you here!" I use my pain manipulation to make him feel as though he had been shot himself and take in the enjoyable wail that came from him.

I cancel my pain manipulation for a moment and again speak to him "How does it feel? It hurts doesn't it? We go through that every day and worse and you're trying to prevent us from leaving? Sounds to me like you're even more fucked up than I am." Again he replies meekly "I-I'm sorry we're just doing our jobs. We have nothing…against you." I reply to his answer angrily "Really? Tell me then why you put a fucking bullet hole in my shoulder then?" this time his answer is a bit more confident "You were killing my comrades in arms! What was I supposed to do? I'm not going to just let them die! What would you do in my position?"

For a moment, I actually have to contemplate on what this guard has just said. Despite being a psychotic, death-loving bitch, I have to actually agree that this prick has a point. I can't help but look back at where Shizuko, Rina, and the others were waiting for me to give the all clear. I really have to ponder this question. I don't know what I would do. They all want to get out of here as much as I do, but in this place, it's survival of the fittest. Any weakness means death, but at the same time the more people you have on your team, the easier it is to make up for those weaknesses.

After a moment of silent pondering I speak to the guard who still looks like he's going to shit himself at any second "Is there anything you have precious in your life that you want to see again?" the guard looks slightly confused at first but responds to my question "Well, I have girlfriend…I found out yesterday that she's pregnant and so I decided to propose to her after I got home tonight but…" he then takes out a small box and shows me a small diamond ring lined with several smaller jewels of varying kinds then looks at me with a sad smile "…I guess I'll never get to do that now huh?"

For the first time in a long fucking time I actually feel pity for someone. Maybe it was because I never knew what having the love of a parent was before coming to this shit-hole, maybe because it was because Shizuko had cruelly lost her parents when she was kidnapped and brought here, I couldn't put my blood soaked fingers on it. But for the first time I go against my instincts and actually decide to spare him "You're one lucky son of a bitch, but I think I'll buy that little sob story of yours and let you off the hook this time…on one condition." He looks at me with confusion "Condition?" I nod "Right. You show us the easiest way to get out of here, and I'll conveniently forget you shot me and let you see your little princess and future brat again. Of course, staying alive is entirely up to you." for a moment the guard was silent but then he nodded "Fine. I never liked this job anyway. I always said it would be the death of me." I chuckle slightly "You were almost right old man."

The guard and I walk back to where everyone is waiting and before anyone does anything rash to the poor bastard I quickly hush them "Don't worry about G.I Joe here. He's going to be doing a little favor for us in order to see his little girlfriend and brat again. If he tries to do anything…well, I don't think we need to discuss that for him to get what'll happen to him." I give him a serious look and he nervously nods in reply, instantly knowing what I mean "Alright everyone, let's keep moving!"

As we move closer to A Block we come across one more Blockade. They raise their weapons at us, but upon seeing the guard that has decided to help us they refrain from firing. Wanting to know the situation they call out "Halt! State your situation! Why are you leading the patients this way? Several of the patients in this group don't belong in this Block." I'm surprised, and actually a bit impressed, when the guard responded in a professional tone "Roger. I'm leading the prisoners to the medical ward on the south side of A Block. Due to the breakout, many of the patients on this side have been injured and are in need of medical attention." He then grabs me by the arm and brings me forward "The Subject "Reapers Daughter" has been wounded by one of our blockades in the shoulder and needs the bullet removed. Given her popularity in the ring, it would be wise to keep her in the best condition possible. Others are even worse off than she is."

After a tense, but brief silence the blockade commander waves us forward "Roger that. We'll tell the medical staff to prepare themselves for your arrival so you won't have to wait longer than you need to." The guard nodded gratefully "Thank you, good luck with the rest of them, I've seen some of our best men slaughtered because of these monsters!" the blockade commander nodded as we moved passed "Your telling me. In my opinion they should all be lined up and shot. Save us, and the rest of the world, a whole lot of trouble…"

I'm incredibly tempted to rip the bastard limb from limb, but that would only hinder us. i look over to our "guide" "Monsters huh? Is that what you think of us?" he looks a little nervous but responds quickly "I had to appease him; otherwise it would sound suspicious. But when you think about it, you guys kinda are monsters, I mean, the stuff you can do is beyond absurd. I don't mean your monsters in an insulting way, but monsters in your abilities." I simply nudge him in the side with a grin "I'm just fucking with you. I know I'm a monster, I won't deny it. You're simply calling it as you see it."

Eventually we reach A Block and stop at the checkpoint where we expect to meet the rest of the inmates. However, rather than meeting up with the rest of inmates, we instead find only ourselves. I can't help but get an uneasy feeling. We unlocked everyone we came across. There's no way a few blockades would stop everyone, yet there's absolutely no one here. As I look around I can't help but feel uneasy. Something's wrong. They should have been here by now. Shizuko tugs at my leg and looks up at me with innocent but worried eyes, almost as if she were asking where our comrades were as well. I shake my head at her and reply "I don't know Shizuko. There's something not right going on. At least one person should be here by now. Even if they ran into heavy resistance there's no way they could have killed or rounded them all back up with just a few blockades." It was then that Rina spoke up in a low tone "Unless they ran into those two…" my uneasy feeling becomes even greater as Rina emphasizes the words 'those two' I look over to her in the hopes that I heard wrong "Those two? You can't be talking about…"

Before I can finish my sentence, I hear a cry of pain come from behind me. I quickly turn around to see one of our group fall to the floor, completely eviscerated, and standing behind him are two girls. One has long Blue hair, white eyes, and dressed like one of those Japanese Priestesses with the white shirts and the red skirt, Meikos I think they were called. She also wore a small pendant with a dragon in the centre. The other has short very dark red hair done in the punk style, a reddish skin tone, a sleeveless shirt covered in what looks like blood stains, and skin-tight leather pants with a belt hanging down loosely at the one side for some odd reason. Like the girl beside her, she also wore a necklace but this one had a skull rather than a dragon as well as a small ring that seemed to be customized to now have a small blade attached to it.

I can't help but take a step back as a small amount of fear grabs hold of me "It's you! The sisters in charge of keeping us her and head body guards to the leaders of the Blood Moon Project...The Moonlight Dragon and the Blood Countess, Scarlet and Miyu Tatsu!" Rina turns to "face" the two new arrivals as the rest of our group moves back away from the two. Rina curses to herself " **I knew it…you two were the only possible explanation as to why the rest of our group wasn't here yet."** Scarlet smugly replies to Rina _"Well, you've got to have someone around this place to be able to keep you factory rejects in line. Don't want you going wacko and killing someone. That's my job."_ Miyu then interjects to Scarlets snide remark " _ **Enough Scarlet. You don't need to insult them. Despite what some of them may have done in the past and what they may be now, they're still human and have feelings. You don't like it when I point out that you're smaller than me now do you?"**_ Scarlet immediately looks embarrassed " _S-Shut up! Just because you're bigger doesn't mean your better than me!"_ Miyu quickly retorts calmly and confidently " _ **I disagree. I've beaten you many times in both hand-to-hand and weapons mastery as well. You've only ever beaten me when it comes to that manipulation ability of yours. Regardless, now's not the time to quarrel. We have a job to do."**_ Scarlet growls in anger but nods in agreement "Your right. We can finish this later."

Miyu smiles politely at us and speaks in a kind tone _**"We have become aware of the uprising that you are attempting and as such have deployed methods to quell it so as to protect you and the members of this facility. We ask that you all please return to your cells so as to avoid any further conflicts."**_ Scarlet scoffs at Miyu's pacifistic and polite attempt to get us to stand down and added her own two-cents " _If you refuse to co-operate, we'll just have to butcher you all just like we did to your friends over in D Block. Unfortunately for them they refused to do as they were told like good little guinea pigs and had to be put down like the trash they were. Oh well, it was a good way to test run the new tin-cans at least."_ I growl angrily at Scarlet "Tin-cans? You mean you used other Blood Moon Slayers against them?!" Scarlet smugly smirks at me " _Of course we did! If you have a tool that can be put to use, then use it. You should have seen your friend's pitiful faces as they were mowed down by those brain dead pieces of scrap metal. Just a shame that they also managed to take them down with them. Guess they weren't worth the effort of creating in the first place after all. So now it's up to us to put your little group down."_ I can't help but challenge this bitch "Put us down huh? Why don't you just fucking try?!" I'm quickly stopped by Rina however " **Stop it Reapie! Don't antagonize them! You know that they're incredibly dangerous people!"** I look confidently at Rina "Maybe if we went solo they'd be dangerous, but if we worked together as an organized group, we should be able to take them down easy enough. Shizuko can take care of the hand-to-hand, I'll take care of the support, and you can take them both on at once given your abilities to manipulate Gravity." Rina again shakes her head " **Did you not just hear what they said? They killed our entire second half of the group! Miyu could easily beat you in a hand to hand fight and even Koko would have a hard time with her, it would be too much of a risk to get in a fight with her. She could probably take on almost everyone here by herself. Scarlet is all about brutality and can easily take on groups given her proficiency with the Whip Sword. She also has the ability to manipulate blood."** My eyes widen in surprise "Are you fucking serious?! Where the hell did you learn all this?!" Rina shrugs " **I've got very good hearing and I have someone that I keep in close contact with."** I growl in frustration "I heard rumors about how hardcore these two were, but I didn't realize that they were that bad…" Rina replied with caution in her voice " **Unfortunately, those rumors aren't rumors. They're actually facts.** "

I turn my attention back to the two sisters "What exactly happened to the rest of our group that went to D-Block?! Are any of them still alive?!" Miyu politely answers my question " _ **I'm afraid that we had to eliminate them due to them refusing to comply to return to their cells. It was not a pleasant experience as I would have much preferred to have avoided the bloodshed."**_ I immediately lose my temper "You killed them all because they refused to listen to you?! After all the fucking shit we've gone through here do you honestly believe we'd just listen to you?!" Miyu surprises me when she looks at me with understanding " _ **I agree that your circumstances are far less then desirable. I myself am not fond of what's happening here. And I disliked even less with what I had to do just a short time ago over in D-Block. However, as long as I am tasked with keeping an eye on you, as well as serve as a bodyguard to the leaders of this project…"**_ she then drew her exceptionally long katana before continuing _**"…I cannot allow you to leave this place; as much as I desire to let you."**_

I can't help but smirk in amusement. Despite how much I hate these two, it was common knowledge that, of the two of them, Miyu had always shown a degree of respect and pity towards us and had never tried to look down on us. Truth be told, I'd be lying if I said that I didn't respect, hell, even like, her a little bit since she was the only one in this fucking place to seem to genuinely care about us to some degree. It was only because of her position that she wouldn't help us. Still, the fact that she stands in our way, whether because she wants to or because it was her job didn't matter. I want out, and I'll be damned if I stay here one more fucking second!

I speak to Rina as I take a fighting stance "We're going to make a break for it Rina. If we can get past these two, then we're home free. How do you suggest we go about this?" Rina sighs in resignation " **Let Koko handle Miyu. Miyu uses a blade that has the ability to nullify our own. However, Koko's abilities are all simply physical enhancements. There's nothing to nullify. She's also engineered to be almost unbeatable in a physical confrontation; so to have Koko fight against Miyu, while we take on Scarlet, is the best strategy."** I nod in agreement "Alright then, looks like we have a plan!" I look at Shizuko, who's clutched tightly to Rina's leg "Time to show those badass skills of yours again kid. We'll make sure to all go out and celebrate after we get out of here alright?" I get a small nod from Shizuko in reply as she lets go of Rina's leg and takes her position in front of Miyu. I then speak to Rina "You ready to do this?" Rina smiles confidently at me " **Of course I'm ready. I was beginning to wonder if you were getting cold feet with all your stalling."** I can't help but laugh "Ya fucking right! I can't wait to murder these bitches and finally enjoy my freedom!" I turn back to Miyu and Scarlet "I hope you like pain, because you're going to be in for a fuck load of it!" I hear the cheers from the surviving members of our group as we all take our positions and launch our attack on our last two obstacles that stand between us and our sweet freedom.


	8. Let's Make Some Good Memories

Chapter 7 Elemental Furies: Let's Make Some Good Memories

As we descend on the last two obstacles in our way to our long awaited freedom I notice a quick flash come from Miyu's sword and in the next instant I feel a searing pain in my mid-section that brings me to a halt. Before I have a chance to get a handle on what just happened, I notice a second flash but before anything happens I feel myself suddenly violently pulled back off my feet and fall to the floor next to Rina just in time for me to notice several more of our members cut down by a wave of energy produced by Miyu's blade, leaving only about eight members standing, plus ourselves, and Romeo.

Rina calls out to Shizuko as I land beside her **"Koko! Hurry and stop Miyu! Only you can take her on in a one on one fight! We'll take care of Scarlet!"** I notice Shizuko give a prompt nod to Rina and with amazing speed quickly descend upon Miyu. Rina then speaks to me " **We'll have to keep Scarlet away from Koko at all costs. As good as Koko is, she can't take on both of them in tandem at once. Scarlet would be able to attack Koko at range while Miyu would be able to keep her pinned in one place as they're both far beyond the ability of the random guards that we came across in this place."** I wince in pain due to the bloody wound that Miyu's attack had inflicted on my midsection but nod in response "Got it…" I get to my feet and look over to Scarlet who returns my gaze with a cocky smirk. I want nothing more than to see her blood on the walls tonight! I rally the remaining members of our group and we all charge head first towards her.

Scarlet draws her whip-sword and without even flinching cuts her finger along its razor sharp edge leaving a bloody cut on the tip of her finger. She then points her finger towards us and in the next instant I notice the blood at her fingertip suddenly condenses at the tip and then suddenly spears outward through our group, killing two more of our people now leaving only six members, plus ourselves and G.I. Joe. Before we can get a chance to recover, she pounces in on us and uses her whip sword and twirls it around her, cutting down three more.

As her back turns to me, I seize my opportunity and shout out to Rina "Rina! Her back's turned! It's time to unload!" Rina responds to my notification and uses her gravity manipulation to stop her in place as I unleash a wave of darkness upon her, sighing in relief that my abilities weren't nullified by Miyu's blade. However, despite being restrained by Ekaterina's gravity manipulation, the blood that was now covering her hand due to the self-inflicted cut from her whip-sword materialized as a powerful shield in front of her and rather than tearing the bitch in half like I'd hoped I merely had the attack reduced to simply severing her arm carrying the whip sword off, leaving her wailing in pain as she dropped to the ground, now free from Ekaterina's gravity manipulation. The last three of our group then use their abilities to start brutally pummeling her. Although I've never met them before, one seems to use psionic attacks, one uses void manipulation, and the last seems to use an ability that seems to be similar to acid or plague.

Just as the three remaining members are about ready to finish Scarlet off I notice a defiant grin come to her face " _So, you think…you have me beaten? You stupid tin cans! By spilling my blood all over the place you've just signed your death certificates!_ " she then uses her remaining arm to snap her fingers and before the last three party members can react the large pool of blood that had spread out around her and had splattered in multiple places from the beatings inflicted upon her, suddenly burst forth into multiple spears from all directions and impaled all three of them in multiple vital areas killing all three of them instantly and leaving me in shock.

As Scarlet gets to her feet, the blood that had been covering the ground makes its way back to her and, to my amazement, completely regenerates her severed arm along with all other injuries she had received. I can't help but feel a severe sense of intimidation wash over me as I witness this. Rina wasn't lying when she said that Scarlet and Miyu were far beyond the typical run-of-the-mill guards that patrolled around this shit hole.

I glance over to where Shizuko and Miyu were fighting and smirk as Shizuko was keeping up with Miyu, and even managing to land several hits that sent her sprawling several times. This prompts me to call for Rina's help as I turn back to face Scarlet "Hey Rina! We've got to take this bitch out fast and get out of here!" Rina nods " **Got it! Take Koko and get out of here. I'll take care of these two and catch up with you two in a bit!"**

I look at Rina in dumbfounded surprise as I can't believe what I just heard her say "What the hell are you talking about?! You can't possibly take both of these two on by yourself!" Rina shakes her head in response before replying **"I don't have to fight them, merely stall them momentarily. I can at least achieve that. Given that there's only the three of us…"** I quickly correct her as I remember the guard who's been huddled behind some debris during the chaos we've been causing "You forgot about Romeo over there. Remember he's helping us get out of here." Rina shrugs "I'm concerned about us not him. But whatever, if you insist on bringing him with us it's up to you. Regardless, just as you said, we can't stay here any longer."

At the mention of the guard Scarlet scowled as she turned towards the guard _**"So that's how you all got so far…we've got a little rat on the inside."**_ She then used her blood manipulation ability to attack the guard with such speed that none of us could react to it in time and in the blink of an eye had impaled the guard by forming her blood into a long ranged spear like weapon, she seemed to have a thing for that kind of attack. In retaliation of the attack I use my shadow manipulation and let it loose straight at her, taking the form of a massive wave of black destruction, it connected with her sending her straight through several pieces of debris and knocking her to the floor, re-opening several of her wounds that had previously been healed and crippling her at the same time.

I quickly run up to the guard to check the damage and notice by the fading light in his eyes that the damage is fatal and that he's beyond the point of saving. While normally I would be uncaring to something like this, hell this would normally be just the thing to get my rocks off, this time I couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor bastard. True to his word, he did help us and didn't try to betray us and this was his reward. The sad part is it was because of me pointing out that he had helped us that got him into this mess. Because of this, I felt like I owed him a little and so I asked "What's your little Juliet's name Romeo? If you tell me her name, I can tell her what you wanted to ask her when we get out of her. It's the least I can do for your help." He looked at me with weak eyes and replied with haggard breaths "Her name's…Talia." I nodded in understanding to him "Talia, got it. I'll tell her you went out like a badass getting us out of here." I receive a weak smile and strained laugh in response from him "You know… for someone nicknamed 'Reapers Daughter'…and someone known for being…so ruthless to her opponents…you're not so bad." I return his smile with my own "The thing about being a Reaper is that, despite our job, we're not evil murderers. We simply bring your soul from this world to the next. The reason people hate us so much…is because life is a beautiful lie, and death is a painful truth. The only real truth in life, is that everybody dies in the end. I know that's hard to believe given what you saw us do to the other guards, but had it not been for what had gone on in this place, we would never have done that. Each and every one of us would have loved to have just been able to peacefully walk out of here with clean nonblood-soaked hands." I receive one final nod and smile from him as he slips from this life to the next "I can…see that. When you talk to Talia…tell her I love her and…that I'm sorry…that I couldn't give her…the life I promised her." he then fell limp and after a few moments of paying my silent respects I simply nodded to him "Sure thing Romeo…"

I stand back up and look over to Scarlet as she too gets back to her feet, the damage from my attack obvious as the blood from her wounds covers almost her entire body. I receive a small look of fear from her as I summon my shadows, my rage getting the better of me "You die here bitch!" before I can do anything however, I'm stopped by Rina " **Don't worry about her, leave her to me! Just take Koko and get out of here! I'll join you shortly** " I can't help but curse under my breath but I do as instructed, I can't help but wince a bit as I'm suddenly reminded of the bullet still lodged in my shoulder anyway, and run over to Shizuko and call out to her as I unleash my own attack on Miyu knocking her to the ground "Shizuko! We're getting out of here! Rina wants us to make a break for it while we have the chance! She'll join up with us in a bit, but for now she'll stall them here while we escape!" I receive a protesting look from her, but she takes my hand as I run past and we begin making our way to the exit of A block. I give Rina one final look back as we leave her behind "You better make it back in one piece or I'll kill you myself!" Rina smiles back at me "Of course I'll make it back, Koko would never forgive me if I died here. Just make sure to protect her or it'll be you who'll be dying."

************************Flashback end*******************

Mercy leaned back in her chair and spoke matter-of-factly "…And so I took Shizuko and we booked it while Rina gave those two bitches hell. Unfortunately things didn't go as planned for me and Shizuko…" Pyra raised an eyebrow in intrigue "Oh? What happened" Mercy quickly answered her question "While we were making a break for it, the damn place began falling apart. The place had become such a warzone because of our group that the supports of the place began to give way. It didn't help either when all of a sudden, Rina, I guess, decided to let loose and an explosion suddenly came out of nowhere that was very similar to the one that she had originally caused." A look of guilt then came to Mercy's face "Because of that, the area we were in completely caved in and it separated me and Shizuko, and to make matters worse I had no way to get back to her." Pyra was quick to point out Mercy's abilities "But what about your shadow manipulation, or your Blood Moon Slayer form? Couldn't you just use that to clear the rubble?" Mercy scoffed at Pyra's question "After just performing in a Slaughter Show, being part of a riot, dealing with Miyu and Scarlet, and then being in the middle of an asylum that was falling apart, there was no way I had the strength or the time. Besides, I didn't even get the chance to think about it since shortly after we got separated the room that I was caught in also caved in on itself because of all the hell we raised." Pyra then asked in confusion "Then how do you think the others got out?" Mercy shrugged "My guess is that when the place began to fall apart they decided to call a truce since if they kept fighting none of them would survive. Rina probably went to look for me and Shizuko and when she found Shizuko alone, that's probably where she got the idea I had abandoned them."

Mercy leaned forward again and looked at Pyra with a serious expression "So, do you still think I'm not justified in hating and wanting to kill those bastards?" after hearing Mercy's tale, Pyra certainly had a much harder time judging her now. Even still, she couldn't help but feel that what she did was wrong "You may be justified in hating them, but killing them just isn't right. You're doing exactly what they wanted you to do when they experimented on you. They wanted you to become nothing but a killer and that exactly what's happening" Mercy just scoffed at Pyra's skepticism "If I have to do what they want me too for a little while in order to get my revenge on those pricks then that's fine by me. They destroyed my entire life! Why should they get a free pass and just get to walk away from everything they did while we have to continually suffer the physical and emotional scars of what happened to us back then?" Pyra shook her head sympathetically "I understand how you feel. While, I can't imagine what you went through at the asylum, I do understand the feeling of never being able to forget the painful memories of the past. I'm often haunted by memories of that day when I lost my parents. Whenever I smell smoke or see fire I freeze up and become terrified. It's a very painful thing to constantly have to remember and yet never be able to forget completely."

Mercy got up from the chair she was sitting on and began to make her way to the door as she replied to Pyra "Better get used to it Flower. There's going to be a lot more than just those kinds of memories headed your way in your life…" Mercy stopped just short of the door and was silent for a moment "…Although I do hope you have far more good memories then I've ever had. I may be a bitch who wants nothing more than to see the blood of those who've ruined my life on the wall, but I don't want others to have the same experience as me. Even I still have a small shred of humanity left."

Mercy's tone turned to one of almost sadness and loneliness as she finished speaking. Pyra noticed this and quickly got up from her own seat and walked over to Mercy. With a smile she put a hand on her shoulder "If that's how you feel, then why don't we make some good memories for you?" a sudden look of shock and surprise came to Mercy's face as she heard Pyras offer "You can't be serious! After everything I've done to those people, hell to you, you honestly expect me to believe that you're offering to be my friend? Sorry, but I'm not falling for that kind of bullshit. I've been there, done that." Pyra's face turned serious as she replied to Mercy "I realise what you've done, and believe me, I haven't forgiven you for what you did to me, I'm not even sure how I'm even here right now talking to you after that, but after everything you've been through, and everything you've shown me, I just don't think it's right to leave you with such a poor view of the world. Especially when the only friends you did have are now gone." Mercy was silent for a moment before replying "You really have no idea what you're getting into with associating with me you know. Just being around me is dangerous for you." Pyra just giggled "I'm sure I can handle it. If setting me on fire doesn't put me down I think that's proof enough." Mercy couldn't help but return Pyra's laugh "I suppose that true. Alright, I guess I'll play your little 'friendship game' for now. I guess it'll be a little fun to see just how long it takes for you to break and show your real colours." Pyra merely winked innocently back in response "And it'll be fun to prove to you that people can be genuine in what they say."

Mercy gave Pyra an "If you say so" smirk before heading out into the street. Before she exited the property however Pyra called out to her "Hey Mercy, I got a question for you! It's been tugging at my curiosity for a while now." Mercy looked back with an indifferent expression "What is it?" Pyra was quiet for a moment as she tried to think of the proper way of asking "Well, I noticed you act different and talk different sometimes. Like at the interview with Hal, you spoke very slowly and would often stop in the middle of a sentence before continuing again. You also acted very shy. Your eye colour was also different. I was wondering why." This time it was Mercy who seemed to struggle to find the right thing to say "That one is a little hard to explain. I guess you could call it a side-effect of the experimentation. Most of the time I'm that snivelling cowardly version of myself. But when you piss me off, stress me out, get me pumped up about something or anything like that, well, you saw what happened." Pyra frowned in disapproval "I see. That's pretty messed up. Does your other personality know about you or are they separate from you?" Mercy shrugged "We're a little bit of both. We're our own separate personality but we're aware of each other. We can simply give control to one or the other and basically 'go to sleep' while the other is in control. The thing is neither of us is aware of what the other does or says while the other personality is 'asleep'."

Pyra had a hard time grasping everything Mercy had told her but at the same time, after what she had witnessed come from Mercy, she couldn't put it out of the realm of possibility any longer. Instead of questioning it, she merely went along with her explanation "I think I understand…but it's still a little hard to follow." Mercy shook her head "Let me make it easy on you. When my personality is like when you first met me, consider it me being in a good mood: Soft-spoken, harmless, goes along with everything; all that shit. When I'm like this consider it me being in a bad mood. You probably didn't notice it the first time but I was actually like this as we left the cop shop. Considering how my other self gets so stressed out around the police, we actually switched places momentarily." Pyra was surprised at Mercy's revealing of this but nodded in an uncertain manner "You're right I didn't notice, but I'll try to keep everything you told me in mind, even if it is a bit confusing."

Mercy nodded back with indifference "Good. Anything else you want to know about me or am I free to go?" Pyra averted her gaze away from Mercy and sheepishly responded "No, I think that'll do for now but…" Mercy raised an eyebrow in curiosity "But?" Pyra continued "…If you want you can stay here. I might be out of my mind for offering someone who's killed dozens of people to stay with me, but after everything you've told me I don't think you're as bad as I originally thought…even if you did try to kill me earlier too." Mercy smiled with appreciation "Thanks, but as I said before, I prefer to stick to the shadows, it's safer if I do that." Pyra shook her head "How do you know that? You're not at the Asylum anymore. You don't have to worry about people experimenting on you or forcing you to fight in sadistic tournaments. You'll actually have a place to stay with someone who'll actually treat you like a person and not as a science project." Mercy chuckled to herself "That almost sounds too good to turn down. Sorry though, I'll have to pass this time." Pyra asked Mercy for justification, a tone of sad confusion in her voice "Why? You have nothing out there for you! You'll just end up being alone again! I'm offering to take you in, give you a home, and allow you start a friendship for the first time in three years! Why do you insist on being alone?!" Mercy was silent for a moment before responding "A person who grew up in a comfy lifestyle would never understand someone in my position. When you've been through the shit I've been through its easier, and safer, to just be your own friend." Pyra was silent for a moment "Comfy lifestyle? Mercy, my lifestyle wasn't as comfy as you might think. I lost my parents in a forest fire, a thing that I was almost killed in as well. It haunts me every day and has left me with an intense fear of anything to do with fire. Even a candle sends shivers down my spine. I lost my grandparents, my only real family, a few years later. I've been living on my own since I was around 13. The only reason I'm not homeless is because my grandparents were very good with their money while they were they managed to completely pay off the house when they left it to me. Now I only have to worry about the basics of living." Mercy scoffed "At least you had a place over your head that you could call home. All I had was a fucking cage. I'd have traded anything to have been in your position. How could your position have possibly been worse than mine?"

Pyra stared coldly at Mercy's trivial dismissal of her past heartbreaks over the loss of her family. This look quickly turned to one of sadness however as she answered Mercy's question "Mercy, what you went through was deplorable. No person should ever have to suffer through that but…" Mercy raised an eyebrow in intrigue "But…?" Pyra continued "…It's obvious from the very beginning that you've been alone from the start. You've never had anyone be there for you when you needed it or had a shoulder to lean on when things got too hard. Because of that it's made you almost incapable of feeling empathy, sympathy, or compassion." Again Mercy scoffed at Pyras words "So what? It's survival of the fittest isn't it? It's kill or be killed." Pyra was quick to answer "It's because you're like this that you can't understand my position. You've never been shown love or kindness and so you have no idea what it feels like to lose the things that are most precious to you. If you had grown up with a loving family, and then lost them the way I did, you would understand how painful that is." Mercy again scoffed "If what you say is true than it's all the more reason for me to not get involved with anyone. If you're always on your own, then the only one who can hurt you is yourself. I'm not looking to escape my darkness…I've learned to love myself there. If I have to be alone my whole life in order to do that then so be it, it's nothing out of the ordinary for me."

Pyra was at a loss. She had no more ways to try and convince Mercy to stay with her or show her that life can actually be good to people. Just as she was about to give up she heard the definitive sound of Apiphone's voice ring out in the back of her mind "Pyra, might you allow me to try and convince her?" Pyra almost jumped at Apiphones voice before using her own thoughts to reply back, not wanting Mercy to not only overhear her but also to just not want to come off as crazy "What do you mean? How are you supposed to do that?" Apiphone replied "I can perform what is called a possession. During a possession you and I will switch places and I will be able to physically fight, speak, and act so long as the possession is maintained." Pyra was stunned at Apiphones explanation "You're basically saying you take over my body?!" Apiphone was quick to confirm "If you were to put it simply that would be accurate, yes. However, I can only maintain a possession for so long before your body begins to deteriorate due to the stress of having another person's soul forcibly taking control. Therefore, if you allow me I will say what I need and then return control to you." Pyra was "silent" for a moment before replying "If you think you can convince her then go ahead and try. But I doubt you'll find her receptive." Apiphone merely laughed softly "Ahaha I tend to be very convincing to most people, but we shall see."

Mercy noticed the long silence of Pyra and spoke up to get her attention "Hey! You ok? Why are you spacing out all of a sudden?" she was taken aback however when a blazing red aura suddenly burst out of nowhere and surrounded Pyra. Her eyes had also taken on a striking crimson color rather than their usual blue. It was several moments before Mercy could speak but she eventually worked up the courage "Well this is interesting Flower. When did you learn to do that?" Apiphone merely looked at Mercy, a cold look in her crimson eyes "I'm not Pyra, or Flower as you've recently come to call her. My name is Apiphone and know that if it were up to me you would be ash right now given what you attempted to do to Pyra just a short while ago."

It took a moment for Mercy to process this new development, but it quickly dawned on her "Wait! You're that bitch that I fought earlier aren't you?!" Apiphone nodded "Indeed I am. Although we fought to a stalemate during that battle, it was merely due to being taken by surprise. I didn't think you had a second form. I can guarantee that if we fought now I would be the victor, no matter what your abilities might be." Mercy smirked slyly "Is that right? Why don't we put that to the test then? You only saw a fraction of what I can do." Apiphone shook her head "As tempting as that sounds, I must decline this time. Instead I'm here to speak on Pyra's behalf." Mercy scoffed "You're not going to try and convince me to stay here to are you?" Apiphone nodded "Indeed I am. Pyra is a kind person and is genuine in what she says. What other person can you think of who would open their home and willingly invite someone into their home that they know committed the atrocities that you have? Not only have you murdered others, you also tried to murder her; yet she still is welcoming you with open arms." Mercy chuckled "Well, I have to admit you got me there, but in all honesty that just makes her an idiot. If they were smart they'd want nothing to do with me." Apiphone sighed "And yet this "idiot" still wants you to stay and wants to offer you friendship. Did you not say that you would "play her game" for the time being? Wouldn't the best way to do that would be to stay with her so you could keep an eye on her if she truly did intend to betray you? It would also allow you the luxury of not having to constantly be burdened with finding places of safety every day due to not having to be on the run. After what you've done to the people at the police station, you will be mercilessly pursued once those who get involved in the investigation catch wind of who you are and what you've done. Should you stay here however, I can personally guarantee your safety."

Mercy fell silent. She had to admit, Apiphones argument made perfect sense. She could keep an eye on Pyra and see for herself just how quickly Pyra showed her true colors and it was a pain in the ass trying to avoid the cops and assholes of the street every day. Using her abilities to avoid detection every day took its toll on her after a while. If she decided to actually stay with Pyra it would solve both those problems. She also couldn't deny that Pyra also had good points in her own arguments. She'd been so fixated on her own self-preservation and security that she failed to see the advantages of taking Pyra up on her offer. Even if she didn't trust Pyra's proposal of friendship, she could at least use her home as a safe stay for the time being until she thought up of something better. When you have a perfectly good tool at your disposal, why not use it?

After a few moments of pondering Mercy finally resigned herself to Pyra's and Apiphone's offer. Although her face was calm with look of smug confidence, it held a slight look of appreciation and gratefulness, even if she herself wasn't aware of it. With a sigh of defeat Mercy finally replied to Apiphone "Fine, you win. I guess I'll stay with you two crazies for the time being. I just hope you know what you're getting into with associating with me." Apiphone merely smiled "Believe me Mercy, I know someone who is much more fearsome than you and I put together." Mercy raised an eyebrow in interest "Oh? Is that right? Do tell." Apiphone shook her head with a smile "I would love to talk to you about her sometime. However, my time is up. If I do not return control to Pyra quickly it will not bode well for her and she will begin to suffer backlash from my switching places with her. We can discuss that matter later should you so wish. One word of warning however…" Mercy's expression turned serious "What is it?" Apiphone continued, her expression deathly serious "…while you stay here, I vow to protect both you and Pyra from harm. However, should you ever lay another hand on Pyra, I will cast you into the hellfire without a second thought. I am fire itself. It is a trivial matter for me to turn one such as you into a mere smoldering pile of ash. If that is understood then I bid you farewell and I look forward to having you as a part of our family."

As the blazing aura around Pyra suddenly dispersed and she came back to her senses Mercy couldn't help but feel legitimately intimidated, even frightened, of Apiphone. Given what she recalled of her during their altercation earlier and her brushing off of everything she threw at her, even the time she impaled her from behind, and, more imposing still, surviving her Blood Moon Slayer form, she couldn't deny that Apiphone could truly back up her threat. These feelings of intimidation and fear were quickly dashed however when Pyra's chipper voice rang out to her "So you're really going to stay here then?" Mercy nodded "Ya, your little fire friend convinced me to babysit you for a while." Pyra quipped back a slight hint of poutiness in her voice "Hey! I don't need to be baby sat! I've made it quite well on my own for a few years now!" Mercy laughed at Pyra's pitiful defending of herself "I'm kidding Flower. You're pretty weak in the knees when it comes to anything regarding blood and violence, but to make it this far on your own in your circumstances is pretty badass. Most brats your age have no idea what the fuck to do when put in your situation. They expect mommy and daddy to take care of it. You've been doing this since thirteen. That's badass in my book. Even I know that being a badass comes in many different ways. You don't have to kill people like I do to be one. You just have to show you can survive on your own under bullshit circumstances."

Although Pyra didn't appreciate being called a brat, and was still on the fence with being called "Flower", she did appreciate the fact that Mercy was complimenting her, even if it was in an obscure way. Pyra quickly let this slide though as she invited Mercy inside "Well, if you're going to be staying with me I should show you around. I don't think it would be very comfortable for you to be sleeping out in the yard now would it?" Mercy smiled gratefully "Although it wouldn't be anything I'm not used to, it would certainly nice to see what sleeping in a bed would feel like." Pyra looked confused "What do you mean?" Mercy just waved Pyra off as she followed her into the house "Don't worry about it. I told you I kept to myself and away from others so I'm used to survival methods and not luxuries." Pyra simply smiled back "Well, you won't have to worry about 'survival methods' here. You'll actually have a home to look forward to. It'll also be nice to have company instead of just myself; that gets lonely after a while."

Pyra suddenly noticed that the sun was beginning to fade and night was beginning to approach. As the sun began to set Pyra got up and motioned for Mercy to follow her "Come one Mercy, it's getting dark I might as well show you around the place and where you'll be staying while you're here." Mercy nodded "It's your place so I won't argue with you. So long as I'm kept in a cage like I was last time I'll be happy with anything." Pyra smiled reassuringly at Mercy "Don't worry. I can guarantee that you won't be stuck in such deplorable conditions this time. I promise it'll be much more comfortable this time."

After a lengthy tour of Pyras home, they eventually entered a room with a large comfortable looking bed. Pyra looked at Mercy a look of invitation on her face "this is where you'll be staying. I hope you like softer beds. This is actually my grandparents' old room. I always found their bed too soft for my taste so I always preferred the guest room since the bed there is a little firmer." As Pyra spoke Mercy explored the room carefully inspecting everything, almost like a child would with inspect a new toy. Eventually she got to the bed and sat down, sinking slightly into the soft mattress. As she sat on the mattress she began to feel the warmth of the sheets slightly on her legs and found this feeling rather enjoyable. Pyra eventually spoke up bringing Mercy back to reality "So what do you think? Is it up to par?" Mercy nodded appreciation "I think it'll do just fine." Pyra nodded in return "I'm glad. I want you to feel welcome after all."

Mercy couldn't help but smile slightly in respect. So many other people in the world would have abandoned, tried to kill, or have turned her in, yet Pyra was willing to take her in and willing to forget everything that she had done. Not only did she respect this, but she had to admit it frightened her a little. She wasn't used to hospitality so this new development frightened her because she didn't know how to react to it. Despite all the justification that Pyra and Apiphone provided to her for why they were offering a homestay for her, she just couldn't believe it. All her instincts were telling her to run away like they had so many times before, only this time she was ignoring them. And it was this that scared her. Why was she ignoring them? She'd heard similar justifications so many other times in the past and had no problems walking away, yet she just couldn't walk away from this strong-willed, white haired girl. Why was that? Only by staying with her would she be able to figure that out. Whether she truly was genuine in wanting to improve Mercy's view on the world or whether she ended up being just like every other person Mercy had ever chanced at putting her trust in before being betrayed by said person, she could only solve the mystery of not being able to resist Pyra's invitation by taking her up on it.

As Pyra stood there in front of her, Mercy couldn't help but look away. She then fell silent for several moments, something Pyra quickly picked up on "You alright Mercy? You've gone quiet all of a sudden." Mercy nodded slightly, her gaze still not returning to meet Pyras "I'm fine Flower. Just…a little overwhelmed is all." Pyras face turned to one of concern and she quickly sat down next to Mercy "What's wrong? What are you overwhelmed over?" As Mercy finally returned Pyras gaze she was surprised to see tears in her heterochromic eyes. This again prompted her to ask "What's wrong?" Mercy, despite the tears in her eyes smiled "Everything. Though you don't have to worry, it's not in a bad way. I'm just not used to people being nice to me. I don't understand after all that I've done, why? Why are you being kind to me?" Pyra shook her head with a look of understanding on her face and for the first time felt no fear of Mercy as she found herself embracing her "Because to waste the time we're given on stubborn pride is senseless. I want to show you that there are actually good people in the world and as well as something called forgiveness."

Mercy was shocked at the sudden embrace and found herself completely paralyzed. She had no idea how to respond to this as this was the first time she had ever experienced it. She knew that this was supposed to be a display of comfort, and at times even affection, but since she had never experienced these things she had no idea how to react. However, as the embrace continued Pyra continued to speak "I'll never let you go through the trauma you had to endure at the asylum ever again, and neither will Apiphone. You're safe here. All I ask is that you stop hurting people. You don't need to do that anymore." As Pyra finished speaking, for the first time in many years, Mercy suddenly found that she couldn't contain her emotions any longer. She returned Pyras embrace, and with tears streaming heavily down her face she simply replied "Thank You…"


	9. Reapers Daughter vs The Saint of the Sea

Talia, the Saint of the Sea vs. Mercy, the Reapers Daughter!

Just as Apiphone finished speaking Talia looked towards Pyra with a kind smile on her face and simply said "Indeed I am. I would expect nothing less from one such as yourself to be able to figure that out so quickly." Pyra was confused by what Talia meant by this and had to ask "What do you mean by that? I didn't say anything…" Talia giggled slightly at Pyra's confused skepticism "Oh no I don't mean you, I'm talking about your fiery friend that you have with you. Apiphone I believe is what her name is if I'm not mistaken."

Both Pyra and Apiphone were in absolute shock. How could Talia possibly see Apiphone when Pyra could only hear Apiphone but not see her? To answer this question, Apiphone requested to Pyra "Pyra, switch places with me. I have some things I need to ask this woman. I do not understand how she is able to see me when you yourself are not. Something just doesn't add up."

With a nod Pyra allowed Apiphone to take control, the blazing aura once again bursting forth and surrounding her, significantly razing the temperature in the room. Mercy simply shook her head in exasperation "I'll never get used to that. I still want to know who the fuck you are. Your name doesn't say much about you." Apiphone simply replied matter-of-factly, almost one that held a small amount of contempt "I'm someone who has no time for those who would dare lay a hand on those under my protection." This response instantly brought a look of guilt to Mercy's face and caused her to fall silent. She then spoke to Talia "How is it you can see me when Pyra can't? Unless you're under our personal protection you shouldn't even be able to hear us." Again, Talia simply smiled kindly "It's quite simple really. Pyra is very young and seems to have just gotten used to having your company. I on the other hand have been with my companion for many years and we have learned how to "break the rules" so to speak thanks to the help of a very kind individual we came across who worked at that old asylum three years ago. So, don't worry I can see and hear you just fine without you having to perform a possession."

Apiphone was intrigued at this. Given the time frame, that would have been the same time that Mercy would have been confined at the asylum as well. This pressed her to ask "And just who would this person be? It would be much easier to speak to Pyra physically then through her thoughts, that gets exhausting for her after a while, and can have adverse effects if done too often." Talia nodded in understanding "I realize that. If I remember correctly her name was Miyu Tatsu. I don't know how…"

Mercy suddenly spoke up in a mixture of surprise and anger, cutting off Talia mid-sentence "Miyu Tatsu?! You ran into that bitch and didn't kill her?!" Apiphone warned Mercy in a low tone "Enough Mercy! You've done enough already!" Mercy, however, wasn't going to have any of more restraints and simply continued speaking, completely ignoring Apiphone "That bitch was one of the reasons I suffered at that place for so god damn long! Why didn't you kill her?!" Talia looked at Mercy with a confused look "I didn't realize she had done such a thing to you. If I had I would have inquired as to what happened there and why she would do such a thing." Mercy replied, anger now completely taking over her voice "That wouldn't be good enough! She deserves nothing but death! Everybody involved with that place deserves nothing but death and I'm going to be the one to deliver it!"

Apiphone, now fed up with Mercy's outbursts, slammed Mercy against the wall, easily holding her there "I said that's enough! You've already destroyed an innocent person's existence who had nothing to do with that! Did they deserve that too?! You've got to learn to keep yourself under control before you truly do actually do something you'll regret!" Mercy however wasn't intimidated and replied threateningly "I suggest you put me down before I fillet you…" Apiphone just smirked in amusement "Go ahead and try. Now that I know your abilities, you'll be lucky to even lay a scratch on me. What's more, you also need to keep in mind that anything you do to me you'll also be doing to Pyra as I'm using her body right now. Are you fine with harming or even killing her? I'm a spirit, something you can't easily kill. I can simply leave Pyra at the last moment before you deliver the fatal strike and have Pyra take the killing blow. Are you fine with that?" Mercy growled in rage at Apiphone's almost cowardly threat but decided to relent to it "Fine. You win this one you bitch!" Apiphone just smirked and dropped her "Good. You've made a wise choice."

Talia suddenly spoke up "It seems your friend has a great deal of anger pent up." With a large sigh Apiphone nodded "Indeed she does. However, with everything she's suffered through, she's justified." Talia's face took on a look of sympathy "I see. I'm sorry to hear that." Her face quickly brightened however "I have a suggestion then." Mercy picked herself up off the floor and asked with an annoyed, yet also curious, voice she asked Talia "And what might that be?" Talia was quick to answer "Well, as luck would have it, I'm actually finished my shift. If you're up for it, and would like to release some of that stress, why don't we have a little sparring match?"

At the mention of having a sparring match between Mercy and Talia, Apiphone had to object "I don't think that's a good idea. Mercy is a considerable opponent and can lose herself very quickly. Even I was overtaken by her during our first fight! What if there are innocents in the area who get caught in the crossfire?" Talia didn't seem fazed by Apiphones concerns "Don't worry, I know of an area we can go that nobody ever comes to. We can rip the place apart and still not have to worry about harming anyone. If you're worried your welcome to join us" Talia's expression was kind and understanding and the more Apiphone looked at it the more comfortable and trusting of her she felt until she finally relented and decided to ignore her worries "Alright. I'll put my faith in you. You are a fellow Fury after all." Talia just nodded, the soft smile never leaving her face "Indeed I am. I hope to live up to your expectations." Apiphone then returned the smile "I'm sure you will."

Talia led Mercy and Pyra to a secluded area far off in the woods. As they made their way to the fighting spot Talia tried to get to know her opponent a little more "So I'm curious Mercy, what truly happened that led you to ending up with all those scars? Dr. Shiro says it's due to complications from being a patient of his at one point but you claim this is wrong.". Mercy scoffed briefly at Talia's question before answering coldly "He wasn't fully lying. I was a 'patient' under him three years ago at the High Valley Asylum before it got condemned after the patients rioted." Talia replied, shocked at Mercy's answer "Are you serious?! You were a patient there?! It was a terrible tragedy that occurred there." Again Mercy scoffed "Tragedy? It wasn't a tragedy! It was justice! The shit we suffered there was beyond inhumane! They got what they deserved!" Talia stopped momentarily and questioned Mercy on this statement, her voice suddenly becoming very low, almost angry "'Got what they deserved' you say? How exactly do you justify saying that?" this sudden change in attitude didn't seem to phase Mercy as she responded in an equal manner "You'll see once we start pummeling each other."

Despite it being in the forest, the area in which she led them was a large clearing. The only thing it had was a large lake and small beach. Mercy and Pyra didn't need to even ask why Talia led them here, it was obvious that it was so she would have the advantage given the large body of water now at her disposal to enhance her water manipulation abilities.

Regardless, Mercy didn't seem to be worried as, despite the area being relatively clear of any debris, there were still more than enough objects within the area to cast shadows that would also allow Mercy to use her own abilities with little trouble. In the worst-case scenario, she could use her own shadow that her body produced. In the very least, both Mercy and Pyra had to agree that Talia wasn't unfair in choosing her battlefield. It was obvious that she also thought about her opponents' weaknesses and strengths to make it fair.

Mercy, Talia, and Pyra all made their way to the center of the field. Talia looked up at the now fading sky, admiring the first stars of night starting to shine like diamonds in the sky. Without looking back at Mercy or Pyra she spoke, a sound of happy content in her voice "I've always loved this place. It's where I come whenever I need to just get away from all my troubles or just need a break from the world. It was also here where I met my companion, Daryl."

Apiphone suddenly spoke up, a tone of shock in her voice "Did you say Daryl?! I haven't seen him in centuries! How is he doing? I hope all is well with him!" Talia nodded "Would you like to speak with him? Unfortunately, since you can't see each other physically like we can I'll have to allow him to perform a possession but that shouldn't be much a problem. If it'll allow you to catch up it's worth it" Before Apiphone could answer however Mercy spoke up "This is all very touching and heart-warming, but I thought we came here so I could beat the shit out of you."

Talia's face dropped to one that wasn't one that showed kindness, but instead showed a level of confidence that almost bordered on being chilling "Is that what you think? I never remember specifically saying that you would, as you so elegantly put it, 'beat the shit out of me'. Quite the contrary. If anyone is going be beating the shit out of anyone, it's going to be me beating the shit out of you." Mercy's face took on a crazed expression "Show me then! I'll have you know they called me the Reapers Daughter in the ring! I didn't get that title by being an innocent flower girl!" Talia responded in return, her own expression taking one of chilling confidence "I see. Well I too have a title. Those who have faced me in combat have come to call me the Saint of the Sea." She then took on a fighting stance "Now then, let us stop this chatter and get down to what we came here for; seeing who's the stronger of us." Mercy nodded "Agreed."

With that Mercy struck first with lightning speed using her abilities over the shadows to restrain Talia by both the hands and feet, completely immobilizing her. She then ran up and jumped off both feet and delivered a hard jumping turning kick, intent on connecting straight on Talia's temple. Much to Mercy's surprise however, Talia didn't even try to duck or struggle. She didn't even look worried. As Mercy's kick connected it didn't connect against flesh and bone, in fact, it didn't connect against anything. Instead of connecting against Talia's head, it simply went through.

As Mercy landed back down she noticed that her kicking leg was now completely soaking wet. She couldn't make any sense of what happened and looked towards Talia for an explanation to which she promptly gave, recognizing the look of confusion on Mercy's face "Oh dear! You can control the shadows to attack your opponents it seems. That's quite the frightening ability! Unfortunately, i forgot to mention that physical attacks, or anything that has mass really, are completely useless against me. I can make my body 100% water if I so choose; making myself about as solid as a ghost. So unless you can figure out a way to use you're shadow power against me without manipulating it to have mass to harm your target like you normally do, you'll never beat me." Mercy looked shocked at being found out "H-how did you figure that out?!" Talia just smiled sweetly, something that sent chills down Mercy's spine "It's very simple. A basic shadow can't do anything to anyone. In order for it to keep me in place like that, you'd have to give it physical mass and give it an actual corporeal form. Also, I have to say that your ability to use the shadows as a weapon is quite fascinating! I was in no means prepared for that."

Mercy gritted her teeth in frustration and thought to herself **Well that's just fucking great…if I can't hit her how the hell am I supposed to hurt her?!** Before Mercy could figure out a plan however Talia unleashed her own attack "If you're just going to stand there I'll take this opportunity to return the assault you just so graciously tried to do unto me." With a simple wave of her hand the very earth cracked and several geysers burst forth spewing water forth. Talia then snapped her fingers, making the water from each geyser take on the form of several bullet-looking projects made purely of water. She then pointed her hand towards Mercy and dozens of pure water projectiles flew straight towards Mercy. Mercy, however was quick on her feet thanks to her time in the Slaughter Shows. She quickly jumped away and erected a shadow wall in front of her that managed to repel the projectiles. However, she was taken by surprise when she suddenly heard Talia's voice in her ear "Oooh! I'm impressed! You're a very good fighter with that quick thinking of yours. However…"

This time Mercy wasn't quick enough to evade and before she could react Talia had wrapped the water that had puddled on the ground around her fist and delivered a hard strike straight to her gut instantly putting her down to the ground, the air knocked out of her. Mercy looked up at Talia, a looked of angry contempt on her face "How the hell did you do that?! You weren't anywhere near me!" Talia again answered her with a kind smile on her face, something Mercy was quickly beginning to hate, and explained "If there's water in the area, I can use that to quickly go from one area to another. Since I can make my body one hundred percent water, I always have a water source at my feet. All I need is to set up a "point B" so to speak. When I attacked you with my, as I like to call it, "Water Barrage" I not only had a point B, but also a C, D, E, and F. I could have gone anywhere in a split second to any of those points. Unfortunately for you, one of those points was right behind you and your barrier obscured your vision; completely preventing you from seeing me come up on you."

Mercy, despite really disliking Talia right now, had to admit that was a well-played setup that she had pulled. She was also beginning to feel slightly excited, in more than one way, since she hadn't faced an opponent like this since her fight with Apiphone and her very brief reunion with Ekaterina. Any normal person since then that had opposed her had proved no more of a challenge then slapping a mosquito that was biting your arm. This was the first time in years that she had found one, next to Apiphone, who could take her on and possibly even beat her.

Not wanting to come off as weak or easily beaten, she unleashed several chainlike shadows to try and ensnare Talia. However, being made completely of water, Talia simply slipped through them as they made contact with her. However, this time Mercy had planned for this and as she slipped through the chains she used her abilities to launch a wave of darkness straight at Talia, which to her amazement actually landed and sent Talia sprawling. This lead Mercy to believe that for a moment after using her ability to become intangible, she was unable to use it again and thus was vulnerable to attack. Using this new knowledge, she pounced on Talia with newfound aggression and unleashed several shadow-based projectiles forcing Talia to either use her ability or to deflect them. Due to the amount of pressure Mercy was now employing, she began to land several blows upon the newly found Elemental Fury.

Talia was taken by surprise when the tables suddenly turned and Mercy managed to actually lay a hand on her. However, Talia wasn't about to be defeated so easily. As Mercy went in for another one of her shadow-based assaults, Talia used her Aqua Step to again get behind Mercy. Using the recovery time of Mercy's technique to her advantage, Talia used all her strength to punch Mercy square in the side of the ribs, instantly taking the breath out of her and dropping her to her knees once again.

Pyra cringed from the sidelines as she watched Talia deliver the devastating attack on Mercy. She couldn't help but think that, despite Mercy's strength, this was child's play for Talia. As she watched Mercy fall she asked Apiphone "Do you think that's it? Do you think Talia's won?" Apiphone answered with a tone that was matter-of-factly, yet also doubtful "Daryl was incredibly powerful. He was almost impossible to defeat through conventional means as physical attacks were almost useless against him. He also has the power over ice as well so he is well rounded in what he can do. He would often use water to attack and ice to defend and trap. However, Mercy has shown to be incredibly powerful herself. I would not count her out yet."

As she got her breath back it, Mercy began to contemplate her options. Her abilities to manipulate the shadows didn't seem like they were going to be effective, since, for her to damage or even simply restrain her target, she had to give the shadows a corporeal form and in order for them to be effective against Talia, she had to have incredibly precise timing to get past her intangibility. To make matters worse, she couldn't use her pain manipulation abilities because they also required physical contact. Even if Mercy activated her Blood Moon Slayer form, it would require her to unleash her Death Sentence Protocol which had two problems. The first being that she didn't have the ability to access it without permission from someone with authority and neither Pyra nor Talia had that. The second was that even if she could access it freely, and would take away the need of physical contact to be effective, it would not only affect Talia, but Pyra as well. Due to how the protocol was designed, it would affect anyone within a specific radius around Mercy.

Several moments went by of Mercy trying to think of an effective method of counter attack. Eventually this led to Talia asking Mercy, concern in her voice "Are you alright? I didn't hurt you to badly with my last attack, did I?" Mercy, despite knowing that Talia was merely showing concern for her well-being, was angered at this. To her, this wasn't a showing of concern, but a showing of condescending and mockery. It made her feel as though Talia was calling her weak and it angered her.

Mercy's anger however quickly turned to one of motivation when it suddenly dawned on her that, despite Talia's formidable ability to become intangible, she was still human and needed to regularly breathe. If she made herself completely made of water to avoid attacks, if even momentarily, it would be like holding your breath underwater. Even professional divers have only ever been recorded to have held their breath for a maximum of five minutes at a time and with regular intervals of rest in between. If she could apply constant pressure on Talia, she wouldn't need to physically harm her to beat her. She could simply drown her with her own ability. Since her Blood Moon Slayer form allowed her to use her shadow manipulation and own physical fighting skills independently of each other, this would be a simple task to now perform.

Mercy finally got to her feet and answered Talia's question "I'm fine. It's going to take a hell of a lot more than that to put me down, let alone keep me there." Talia sighed in relief "I'm glad. I was worried a I went a little overboard for a moment." Mercy chuckled "Not at all. That was just a pleasant warm up massage compared to what I'm used to." Her tone then turned serious "Before we continue though there's something I got to tell you. I made a promise to them that I would tell you once I found you." a look of confusion came to Talia's face "Oh? What is it you need to tell me?"

Mercy knew that this was likely going to be a touchy subject, and quite likely very painful for Talia to hear, but even someone as twisted as herself kept her promises, and so she decided to get it out of the way while she had the chance. With a deep breath of preparation "During the riot of Asylum, there was a guard that helped us escape, I didn't know his name so I just called him Romeo." again Talia looked confused "Romeo? What would drive you to call him that?" this was where Mercy knew things would likely get ugly, or in the very least, emotional "I called him that because after I got to know him a bit I found out that he was your man." A look of surprise and emotional distress immediately came to Talia's face "Your kidding…you met Alex?! But that's impossible! He was working as a prison guard on the complete opposite end of town!" Mercy chuckled slightly "Is that what they told you? No. He was a guard, but he was working to guard the patients of the Blood Moon Project. They likely just used that as a cover story to fool you. Though I can say without a doubt, Of all the guards I'd met during my time there, he was the most likable. He actually had a backbone and kept to his word. Unfortunately-" Talia finished Mercy's sentence for her, her voice beginning to crack "That's what got him killed. Right?" Mercy nodded "Mhmm. He said to me to tell you that he was going to ask you to marry him after he got home that night…though I guess our little uprising shattered that dream. It's actually one of the few things I regret happening back then."

Talia's expression was now one that plainly showed heartbreak. She had come to help Mercy relieve her stress yet was now dealing with a great deal of emotional stress herself. Despite this, she had to inquire further. She had gone three years with no answers as to why her lover had so cruelly been taken from her. Despite a wavering composure, Talia pressed for further answers "Why…why did you all riot? Why did you kill him?" Mercy quickly answered Talia "We rioted because of being put into a secret project funded by the military and conducted by doctors of the Asylum. The shit we were put through was a literal hell on earth. That's the true source of my scars. These are all reminders of what I went through. It wouldn't even be a stretch to say I'm not even human anymore!" she then sighed "You've also got it wrong regarding your man. I didn't kill him. The one who killed him was actually one of the other guards, if you even want to call her that, a sadistic devil is more like it, after they found out he was helping us."

Despite this explanation it seemed to do little to ease Talia's now overflowing emotions "Even if that's true…it was because of you that led him to being killed! If you hadn't have rioted he would still be here! Me and him would be together! We'd have a family! But you took all that away from me! You probably forced him into helping you escape while you massacred dozens of innocent people! You likely would have killed him yourself if he refused to help you, wouldn't you?!" Mercy was silent for a moment and found she couldn't deny that point "In all honesty, at the time, your right I probably…no, I would have, killed him myself if he refused. But the thing you need to understand is-" Talia suddenly cut Mercy off "Shut up! I don't care what you have to say anymore! It's because of you that he's dead! Whether personally or indirectly, it's still because of you that he's gone!"

A sudden burst of water exploded from the ground and surrounded Talia. After a few moments it dissipated and Talia again stood in it's place, but she now wore a flowing blue ball gown style dress, on her wrists were now a pair of bracers that appeared to have blades fashioned to look vaguely like a fish's fins. She also wore a crown adorned with several precious gems and sported blue wings very similar to Apiphone's, as well as now wielding a fearsome looking trident in her hand.

A look that was a mixture of emotional devastation and rage lined Talia's face as she raised her trident and spoke to Mercy "You took the one thing that meant everything to me! Now I'm going to make you pay for it! If you thought that your time at the Asylum was hell, then you have no idea of the things that I'm going to do to you!" Pyra quickly spoke up, seeing that things were quickly getting out of hand "Talia stop this! Alex wouldn't want you to do this! You'll be no better than the ones who killed him in the first place if you go through with this!" for a moment Talia seemed to hesitate and calmly, or rather calmly as she was able, replied to Pyra's plea for her to seize her actions "I realize that. But sometimes, in order to get justice, you have to be the bad guy."

With that statement Talia rushed Mercy down and, in an instant, was upon her before she could even react. Despite Mercy trying to defend by erecting a barrier of shadow, Talia used her water manipulation to enhance her Tridents striking power and not only completely destroyed Mercy's barrier, but unleashed a shot of water that was so powerful that it pierced straight through Mercy as though she had been shot by a high-calibre gun sending her sprawling back a few feet. As she tried to recover, Talia raised her Trident into the air and the lake that was lining the beach suddenly exploded upward and with a swing downward she sent it towards Mercy in the form of a massive tidal wave crashing into her and destroying much of the surrounding area. However, this still wasn't enough to quell Talia's rage and as the water from the tidal wave began to subside she used her mastery over water to take it to the next level and freeze everything in the area, Mercy included. However, due to her not wanting Mercy's torture to end to early, she carefully stopped the freezing process once it reached up to Mercy's waist, thus simply preventing her from moving her arms and legs. She then wrapped the remaining water around the blades on her gauntlets before freezing it and transforming them into vicious wrist scythes of ice.

At this point Mercy was beginning to panic. Never had she faced an opponent of such viciousness. Her attacks were useless, her defenses were useless, and now she was completely restrained. Even when she had fought Apiphone she was at least able to defend herself and even if she wasn't able to beat her, she could at least wound her. This battle was on a completely different level. The only thing she could do was try to find a way to transform to at least have some way to fight back, as the way she was now was she no more of a challenge to Talia than a fly was to a human.

Despite the desperate situation Mercy was in, Talia had no sympathy. She gave Mercy no chance to come up with a solution to her predicament and went straight on the attack bringing her ice scythes down on Mercy intent of cutting her down. Thanks to Mercy's quick reflexes and instincts from her time in the Asylum however, she was able to quickly move just slightly enough to the side and avoided the blade from severing her neck. Unfortunately, due to being restrained, she couldn't evade completely and as such the blade instead came down on her shoulder, severing her arm off and leaving Mercy wailing in agony. This too was not enough to earn Talia's sympathy but instead of finishing her off she instead mocked Mercy "What's the matter? You boasted how you were called the 'Reapers Daughter' yet I see nothing that would warrant such a title coming from you. If you truly were the daughter of the Reaper, he would be ashamed of you and see you as nothing but a disgrace! At least you now know the agony I've been living with all these years since you took Alex away from me! I hope you enjoy the feeling of it you bitch!" Talia then raised her ice scythes high, this time intent on finishing Mercy for good "Well, don't worry I'm not without pity or remorse. I won't make you suffer for years like those doctors did and instead kill you here and now. Farewell Reapers Daughter, may you burn in the hell you deserve!"

Just as Talia was about to bring the blade down Mercy spoke raggedly to Talia "I…don't think…that's a good idea." Talia was momentarily stunned by these words and had to ask "What do you mean by that?" Mercy, fighting the overwhelming pain she was feeling, replied "I've done…many horrible things. I won't…deny that. But unlike me…you have a chance…to live an untainted…life. That's not something…I can do. I've killed…I've maimed…I've even betrayed…for my own…benefit. I didn't care…if it was an adult…or a child. I have no light…in my life. I never will. You…have all the light...in the world right now." Irritated by Mercy's riddling, Talia questioned her "What exactly is your point? If you have a point to make just say it so I can kill you and get the revenge I've been longing for for so long!"

As Mercy and Talia spoke back and forth Pyra spoke her own thoughts on the matter "Just stop this already! This has gotten completely out of hand! This wasn't supposed to happen!" Pyra was quickly silenced however when she was forcefully knocked off her feet from a powerful blast of water from a very angry Talia "Shut up! You don't even know how to use your power! I don't need to be told what to do by a weakling like you!" at this comment Apiphone became infuriated "How dare you run your mouth like that! Should you continue I shall boil you alive! Though I sympathize with your loss, you have no right to treat Pyra in such a manner! She is merely looking out for you both!" Talia gritted her teeth angrily but, unlike Pyra or Mercy, she knew that to anger Apiphone was a very dangerous thing to do. Despite Pyra not being able to use her powers herself, all she would have to do is perform a possession and things would become incredibly dangerous for her. Although Talia could do the same, the destruction that could occur from the battle of two Elemental Furies would most certainly not be possible to contain within the are they were in.

Bearing this in mind Talia relented and turned her attention back to Mercy "As I was saying, what point are you trying to make? Hurry up and make your point!" Mercy, wincing with pain and finding it harder to remain conscious due to blood loss, replied "My point is…I've killed many people. I can never have…a normal life. I'll always have to…hide in the shadows. Always be alone. You however…have killed no one. You…help people. Your doing this…to avenge…your loved one. Despite…what you might think…I understand…how you feel." Talia clenched her fists in anger "You have no idea how I feel! A murderer has no idea how anyone feels! If they did they wouldn't kill anyone!" Mercy chuckled to herself "I suppose…there's no convincing you…is there?" Talia shook her head "No." Mercy lowered her head in defeat on the subject "I see. Well…if that's the case…I might as well…show you…the reason…for your lovers…death…before you kill me." With a look of confusion Talia asked "What do you mean?" Mercy replied "Since I'm stuck in this ice…I can't move…so I'll need your help. You'll need… to heal my arm…as my tattoo is what…will let me…show you everything. Problem is…only I can activate it."

Despite being very confused Talia did as she was asked. After releasing her from her ice prison, Talia healed Mercy's wounds making it as though she had never been wounded in the first place. As Mercy looked herself over she had to admit she was amazed at what Talia had just accomplished. She didn't have much time to admire this however as Talia interrupted this admiration with a very irritated and impatient tone "I've done what you asked now it's your turn to live up to your end of the deal." Mercy nodded "Your right." She then placed her hand on her tattoo "Try not to be too amazed." Like clockwork, the shadows burst forth and wrapped themselves around Mercy and within a few moments she was had changed into her Blood Moon Slayer form. Like she always did, she introduced herself in her typical stoic fashion "Blood Moon Slayer Assault Unit: Reapers Daughter Awaiting Orders."

As Talia bore witness to the drastic transformation she couldn't help but be a mixture of horrified, surprised, sympathetic, but she also had to admit she was slightly impressed. For a moment she simply stood in silence taking in Mercy's new appearance and personality but eventually she began to interrogate her "So, your actually like me then?" Mercy was quick to reply to the question "Negative: This unit is not capable of controlling the elements of nature and is bound by protocols and directives that dictate what this unit is both allowed to accomplish and is allowed to do. Talia, code-named Elemental Fury of Water, is not bound by such limitations nor is this unit capable of controlling its damage intake as said person. This unit's battle capabilities comprise of, but are not limited to, the controlling of shadows and pain manipulation of others. However, strict protocols relegate the use of these abilities."

Talia was fascinated by this answer but was also beginning to understand what Mercy must have had to have gone through to become like this. In order to have been stripped of rational thought and personality, to have gotten so many scars, and, when not like this, becoming completely uncaring of those around her as adaptation to survive. Still, despite the unfortunate circumstance, Talia still had questions to that needed tobe answered "Aside from what you've told me, what exactly was it that caused the uprising at the Asylum?" like before, Mercy answered Talia's question without hesitation "Input Received: This unit, along with many others, participated in periodic events code-named 'Slaughter Shows'. These events were meant to test the participating units' current combat abilities and would at times be to the death." Talia was appalled by this answer "To the death?! Are you joking?! They seriously did that?!" without any emotion at all Mercy simply answered her question "Affirmative: It was deemed that the loser of these events was not worthy to be used as a reliable weapon; As the purpose of the project was to use the Blood Moon Slayers as military weapons. As such, it was decided that only the strongest would be used. The undisputed top three strongest units of the project were Shizuko Senya, code-name Assassin, Ekatarina Cacilie, code-named Genocide and this unit, Mercy, code named Reapers Daughter. Due to the brutality of the 'Slaughter Shows', the cruelty of the experiments, and the high levels of hostility shown by the guards of the Asylum, the participants of the program eventually rioted."

The more Talia learned about the happenings of asylum, the less resolve she had in keeping up with the fight between Mercy and herself. If it had been anyone else she would have ignored it as someone simply trying to plead for their lives, but Mercy had shown her that these things had indeed happened or, in the very least, some of the things she said happened. This knowledge also pressed her to keep up her interrogation of Mercy "When you rioted, how exactly did you escape? Surely if they were doing such things to you they would have the appropriate counter measures in case such a thing occurred, wouldn't they?" Mercy stoically replied "Affirmative: Trained Guards were on active duty at all times and mercenaries Miyu Tatsu, code-named The Moonlight Dragon, and Scarlet Tatsu, code-named The Blood Countess, were also present to insure obedience of the patients." This answer startled Talia given that she had run into Miyu in the past "Your kidding! Miyu worked at the asylum as a guard?! I had no idea she was in charge of such a cruel thing!" Mercy was quick to confirm Talia's skepticism "Affirmative: However, despite her position as an overseer of the patients and duty to maintain their obedience, she always showed respect towards them. Many of the patients preferred her over all the other guards most notably her sister, Scarlet."

Once again, this confused Talia. What would make Scarlet so bad as to earn her undivided disdain over all others among all the patients? Though when she thought about her moniker "Blood Countess" she had a slight idea. Still, she had to ask to confirm her suspicions "What was so bad about Scarlet?" like clockwork Talia didn't have to wait long for a reply "Input Received: Scarlet Tatsu was known to be very uncaring, violent, and merciless towards the patients of the program. Many times, she would abuse her authority and harm the patients even outside their participation of Slaughter Shows for no other reason than for her own satisfaction. Her sister had to step in many times to stop the torture she often inflicted upon the patients of the program. It was also because of her defending of the patients that led to Miyu's popularity"

Talia was beginning to get a good mental picture of what was going on at the asylum back then and she had to admit, the thought of it made her sick. But despite this, she had a few more questions she needed to have answered before she could decide whether to forgive Mercy, or make good on her revenge and kill her; and those three things were: how did they escape, since Mercy hadn't answered that part yet, who was in charge of the project, and, most importantly, who exactly killed Alex and why.

After processing everything she had been told so far she decided to go back and figure out how they escaped first "You told me about the guards, but you didn't tell me exactly how you escaped. I'd like to know how you accomplished that." Mercy replied obediently "Acknowledged: Upon initiating the uprising, this unit made contact with fellow Blood Moon Slayer Assault Units: Genocide and Assassin. As we made our way through the facility we unleashed fellow allies and formed a group. This unit then cooperated with said allies to create a strategy to most efficiently progress through the facility while also maintaining the highest chances of success. Once an appropriate destination of regrouping was agreed upon we split into groups in order to cover as much ground as possible." Talia however didn't see the reasoning or the effectiveness of this plan "How would that work? If you separate wouldn't that make you all weaker? Wouldn't you be more effective as a large group?" Talia's question was quickly answered "Negative: As no participants taking part in the uprising had any leadership capabilities, it would be impossible to lead a large group to optimal levels. A large group would be also easily spotted and prepared for long before it reached its destination. By splitting the group into two, it also would do the same to the enemy forces and would force them to fight on two fronts. This would force them to prioritize one group over another and calculate which group was the most threat. This would leave the one half of our group to deal with a much weaker enemy force, as the strongest of the opposing forces would be forced to fight the side that was deemed the more formidable of our group. This would give the other group a higher success rate of escape. It is this strategy that the phrase 'divide and conquer' is often referenced."

Talia was impressed with this explanation. Despite Mercy saying none of them had any leadership skills, the explanation of the strategy they used to escape was well thought out. However, it was obvious that this story wasn't one of sun shine and roses. Knowing this, Talia put her own thoughts into Mercy's recounts of the uprising "But it didn't turn out the way everybody hoped did it?" Mercy quickly confirmed her suspicions "Affirmative: Miyu and Scarlet Tatsu were informed of the uprising and were sent to quell it before we could make efficient progress. Due to their involvement, our second group was decimated before they reached the designated meeting point and this left our group to fend for ourselves."

Despite the interesting story Mercy was telling, Talia was still not getting the answers she was looking for. She was merely being told the methods of how they escaped not how they actually did it. It was because of this that she decided to reiterate her question "It's nice to know all this but I'd like to know how you actually got out of there not just the methods you used. That doesn't help me figure anything out." Mercy apologized as best she could given what her current state would allow "Acknowledged: This unit will disclose only the most important details regarding the specified subject for most efficient communication." Talia smiled slightly in appreciation "Thank you." Mercy then continued "After a brief battle with Scarlet and Miyu, due to structural damage caused by the uprising, the asylum began to fall apart. Fellow unit Genocide used her abilities to manipulate gravity to allow this unit and fellow unit Assassin to escape. However, during the escape we were separated due to the structural integrity giving way. It is because of this that only this unit was thought to have escaped." Talia was curious at this statement "Thought? What do you mean by that?" Mercy replied "Input Received: This unit recently rendezvoused with fellow units Assassin and Genocide. The method of which they used to escape however has not been established. Relations with fellow unit Genocide have also diminished significantly."

Now satisfied with Mercy's explanation, Talia decided to move on to her next question "Who was it that was in charge of this sadistic project?" like clockwork Mercy answered her "Input Received: Dr. Vaughn Shiro was the head of the project while the woman simply regarded as Ailear oversaw its progress. However, according to his testimony, despite finding the results fascinating, Dr. Shiro did not approve of the project and Ailear had far more authority over the project then he did. It would appear that his position as head of the project was merely a title with very little actual authority."

Talia was incredibly surprised to hear that the doctor that she had great respect for and came off as incredibly kind and caring towards his patients would be involved in such a barbaric and sadistic project. However, if his position as head of the project really was just a title and not a position of power there was very little he could have actually done to stop the project. In fact, a project like that would likely have gotten himself killed had he tried to stop it due to how many laws of human rights it violated and how they wouldn't want it to be made public. Still, Talia was angered by Shiro's dishonesty with her. if he disagreed with what they were going to do, then why did he take the position in the first place? There were definitely some things she and him were going to have to discuss later.

Finally, with her last 2 questions answered, there was only one more thing she desperately needed to know to let her determine Mercy's fate: Who was it that killed Alex. Talia was straight to the point with this "Tell me, who was it that is truly responsible for killing Alex. You said that it wasn't you who killed him but instead someone else. I want to know who it was and why they did it." Mercy did as she was instructed "Acknowledged: During our escape, this unit negotiated with a guard that this unit came to designate simply as 'Romeo'. The conditions of the terms of the negotiation were as follows: he would show us the way out and in exchange he would be granted leniency and be spared from harm. However, upon confronting Miyu and Scarlet, he was executed by Scarlet under the reasoning of being a traitor to the project. Before passing, he instructed this unit to relay the message of his affections and plans to propose to you at the end of the night; had he made it through."

At last Talia knew. She finally knew what had happened to Alex and why. Although this did little to ease her anger, it did at least free her of the painful burden of not knowing what happened. As Talia stood in front of Mercy, trying to figure out what to do from here, she decided to ask Mercy one final question "Tell me honestly. If you had never run into Scarlet and Miyu, would you have truly let Alex go or would you have killed him anyway?" Mercy quickly replied "Negative: this unit does not engage in deceitful practices. Should this unit come to a successful negotiation, it shall adhere to the terms agreed upon within the negotiation. Alex would have been released unharmed as agreed. Those individuals who tried to break the terms of the negotiation would have been dealt with harshly."

Talia finally relented. Given how Mercy appeared to be while in this form, she appeared to be completely incapable of telling a lie and as such she felt she could trust what she was telling her. Despite this, she still had a lot of anger built up after having found out the truth. However, it was no longer towards Mercy, but rather towards Scarlet. Even if Mercy could be called guilty by association, she still wasn't the one who actively and deliberately killed Alex.

After thinking this over she calmed herself down and returned back to her normal self. smiling sadly to herself she spoke softly, half to her self and half to both Mercy and Pyra "They never told me the details. They only ever said that it was due to an accident whenever I asked about it. Eventually I just gave up and accepted the fact that I'd never find out the real reason behind his death. But it looks like I was wrong and I finally know the real reason. I don't know if I should be happy or sad about that. Part of me always wanted to know, but part of me was always afraid to learn the truth." Mercy spoke up to Talia's feelings of finally knowing the truth "Note: This feeling likely comes from the fear of the unknown, an inherent trait found in all humans." Talia laughed lightly "Possibly. At least, when I didn't know the true cause, I could imagine a reason and find my own reasons. Now I have to accept the reality of what truly happened."

Having now completely lost the will to fight Talia walked over to Pyra and apologized to her "I'm sorry for my horrible treatment of you earlier. I wasn't myself and my emotions got the better of me. I should neither have said nor did what I did to you." Pyra just smiled sympathetically "Don't worry about it. If I was in your position I'd likely have reacted the same way. You lost someone incredibly important to you and not because of an accident like you were told, but due to a psycho's sick reasoning." Apiphone, however, was less understanding "I sympathize with what happened to you, but that still gave you no right to lay a hand on Pyra. You're going to have to learn to restrain yourself better." Talia didn't try to defend herself as she knew that Apiphone was right and merely nodded her head in agreement.

After both of them came back to their regular selves after deeming the fight to be concluded, Mercy joined Talia and Pyra. Although she wasn't any good at it she tried her best to be sympathetic "Although I didn't know him well, he was a likable guy. I honestly do wish he got out of there and truth be told when Scarlet did what she did to him, it pissed every one of us off. None of us wanted to see that happen to him." Talia initially lashed at Mercy "I don't need-" she quickly caught herself however when she realized that, if it weren't for Mercy, she would still have no idea what truly happened and so she instead took the sympathetic gesture with a small sigh "-I'm sorry for snapping. I just really miss him. I appreciate the understanding." Mercy shook her head in understanding "It's alright. As I said, despite what I might seem like or how I appear, I actually understand how you feel. It hurts like hell to lose someone close to you and have no explanation as to why it happened. It happened to me daily." Talia nodded in agreement "Indeed it does."

After a few minutes further of composing herself and getting sympathetic gestures out of the way, Talia finally spoke up in a more chipper tone "Well, what do you say we call it a draw and head home for the night?" Mercy laughed lightly at Talia's comment "A 'draw' huh? More like an epic ass kicking. I haven't been thrown around that badly since the time I was fighting Rina in the Slaughter Shows; but sure, lets get going. All this sappy talking has killed my fighting spirit."

With the fight concluded, the three of them made their way back to Talia's car and were soon on their way back to town. It was eerily silent during the drive back as each of them had their own thoughts that were currently distracting them from socializing with the others. Mercy was thinking about how she could better fight against the Furies, this was her second loss now and she had to admit it was slightly irritating to her given how big her reputation was back at the asylum. Pyra's thoughts were on Mercy and how she was going to have to confront her about what she had done to Eli when they got back, and Talia's thoughts were of a much darker nature. Despite her now calm and chipper looking expression, her thoughts were based on how she was going to find Scarlet, the one who had cruelly taken Talia's very world from her, and kill her.


End file.
